Pink Shirt Day, also known as Anti-Bullying Day, was on Feb. 27.
It all started in 2007 when two Nova Scotian students distributed 50 pink shirts after a fellow male student in Grade 9 was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Since then Pink Shirt Day has been an annual event and has also become global in many countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the U.K. and even Lebanon.
Some countries observe the day on May 4 instead.
A Pink Shirt Day march was organized by Kim Neale, a parent of two boys, both had different experiences with bullying.
“My son has been bullied for several years in elementary school so I’m trying to show him it only takes one person to speak out. My youngest son has special needs. So, he’s been considered a bully so I want to show people the difference that it’s not always someone being a bully, sometimes it’s just words. Don’t always take it as someone trying to hurt you. My youngest one, he’s not a bully. He doesn’t understand,” said Neale.
She went on to thank everyone who came out to help, including family members and people she connected with online for the march. The march started off at Donex at 11 a.m., going down Birch Avenue and back.
“We wanted to show our support. It’s not right that her son is being bullied,” said Deanna Rich, a fellow marcher. “He’s been bullied for two years and he’s a gentle soul,”
Neale said it wasn’t just about her son though, saying there are a lot of other kids in schools and adults as well who are bullied by their peers.
Michelle Maisonet, another marcher, said that Pink Shirt Day shouldn’t just be lip service and that people should take action.
“You can’t just say you’re against bullying and then just shrug. You have to do stuff, you have to show it,” she said.
Several of the schools in the South Cariboo had something planned for the event.
Horse Lake Elementary had an assembly after lunch.
“Our Grade 7 class has produced videos that highlight anti-bullying videos and they will be presented to the entire school during the assembly. This is an important event at our school because we all believe that everyone deserves the right to an education that is free from bullying and harassment,” said Ty Lytton, principal of Horse Lake, in advance of the event.
According to Shawn Nelson, the vice-principal of 100 Mile House Elementary School, the school had an assembly with RCMP and other first responders. Afterwards, they walked down Birch Avenue to Third Avenue and then back to the school.
Norman Foote, a Canadian musician who has been nominated for four Juno Awards for Best Children’s Album, was at the assembly.
Lac la Hache Elementary had a Pink Shirt Day celebration with speeches by RCMP Staff Sgt. Svend Nielson and CRD Director Al Richmond. The also did a “Take Back the Street” walk from the school’s gym to the Lac la Hache community hall.
Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School is promoting the wearing of pink shirts but had nothing planned, as they already had a week of similar activity called “Change it Up.”
RELATED: Change It Up promotes the positive at PSO
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