Pink Shirt Day

The idea of Pink Shirt Day started when “David Shepherd, Travis Price, and their teenage friends organized a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy of a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied for wearing pink. Mr. Shepherd and some others headed to a discount store and bought 50 pink shirts. They sent out a message to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school. As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Mr. Price recalled.” This group of young people took a stand against bullying by protesting against the harassment of the new Grade 9 student by wearing and distributing pink shirts in their school. Bullying is a major problem in schools, workplaces, home, and over the Internet. Boys and Girls Clubs across Canada proudly participate in Pink Shirt Day because it promotes awareness, understanding, and openness about the problem. BGC programs foster self-esteem, social engagement, academic success, inclusion, acceptance, respect for self and others, and connection to community – all of which are key elements of bullying prevention. We encourage you to wear something pink on Wednesday, February 23 to symbolize that we as a society will not tolerate bullying anywhere! For more information, please contact Margaret Schrauwen, Child Development Advisor.