Pink Shirt Day: Let’s inspire acts of kindness!
Most of us know that Pink Shirt Day is to build awareness around bullying and work to end it in our schools and workplaces. But why pink?
The origins of this important day go back to the small community of Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, when two Grade 12 students took a stand against an incident of bullying.
In 2007, Travis Price and David Sheppard noticed a Grade 9 student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Instead of ignoring the issue, these two students grabbed some pink T-shirts and encouraged students at their school to wear pink clothes in solidarity with the boy who had been bullied.
There were 1,000 kids at that school. 850 of those stepped up and wore pink.
It feels good to be supported and to have someone stand up for you. This is what we all have an opportunity to do just by wearing our pink shirts on February 28 and learning new ways to show up for those being bullied, everyday.
What is bullying?
Bullying takes on many forms and can happen anywhere. Sometimes, it gets brushed under the rug as just someone bugging someone else, and it is intimidating to get help. But bullying is causing someone intentional harm, repeatedly over time and it is wrong.
According to the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, bullying remains a significant issue for Canadian youth.
Here’s what you should know:
71% of youth between 12 and 17 years old shared they faced at least one instance of bullying over the past year
59% experience verbal insults like name-calling
Elementary students face bullying every 7 minutes; 85% of these incidents have bystanders.
With bystander intervention, 57% of bullying stops in ten seconds.
We all know bullying isn’t limited to the schools, and many of us have experienced it as adults in workplaces or social situations. But what can we do?
We can work hard with children and young people in our lives to educate them on what bullying is, why it is unacceptable behaviour and how to help or get help. That’s where Pink Shirt Day comes in, with a mission to create a more kind, inclusive world by raising awareness and funds for anti-bullying initiatives.
Since 2008, more than $2.55 million has been distributed to support youth anti-bullying programs throughout Western Canada. In 2022 alone, this day has supported programs that impact more than 50,000 youth and children.
Any pink shirt is fabulous, but this year, you are able to purchase a 2024 pink shirt with a design created by Corey Bulpitt. Corey is an internationally recognized artist from the Haida Na7ikun-Raven Clan. Bulpitt is known for his graffiti-influenced, Haida-style work, with pieces displayed across the country.
Learn more about the artist and how to purchase the shirt, visit pinkshirtday.ca