Choosing what to wear today should be easy for the thousands of people expected to take part in B.C.’s sixth annual Anti-Bullying Day.
More commonly known as Pink Shirt Day, it’s meant to help the community take a stand against bullying and show support for victims through activities in schools and workplaces.
The cause began in Nova Scotia in 2007 when two boys at a high school there handed out 50 pink T-shirts to students to support a friend who had been bullied for wearing a pink shirt.
It quickly spread across Canada and is now a major fundraiser for groups like Boys and Girls Clubs.
“I love Pink Shirt Day because I love the story of Pink Shirt Day. I love the origins of it and what it accomplished in that community,” said Don MacIntyre, director of instruction at the Okanagan Skaha School District.
“Sometimes just having an awareness of what Pink Shirt Day stands for reminds kids of how important it is to treat each other properly.”
MacIntyre said anti-bullying programs remain a priority in many schools.
One of the most well-publicized programs last year was the ERASE Bullying Strategy unveiled by the B.C. government. The strategy includes a dedicated website where students can anonymously report bullies to school staff.
MacIntyre said he received just a few such reports in 2013, and none so far in 2014.
“I wouldn’t begin to say that means bullying is non-existent,” he added, noting that the higher profile of the issue has increased the resources dedicated to it.
The Okanagan Boys and Girls Club also includes anti-bullying work in its offerings to kids
“We try to incorporate in all of our programs helping kids build self-esteem and self-concept and leadership and all of those types of things,” said Richelle Lawrence.
She’s the club’s special events co-ordinator and, as such, is in charge of Pink Shirt Day activities, a fundraiser for the group, which this year sold 4,000 pink T-shirts at McDonald’s restaurants in the region.
Advance orders were placed by some local businesses such as Waterfront Eyecare Centre, which purchased 50 shirts for staff in offices in Penticton and Osoyoos.
“We think it’s very important, obviously, and it gives us an opportunity to help out in the community and be seen as an example,” said Janelle Nunn, a supervisor at the Penticton location.
Former premier Gordon Campbell proclaimed the first B.C. Anti-bullying Day in 2009. Other provinces have also followed suit.