Today I spoke at an event in my hometown and shared a story and a message that I am really passionate about. I wanted to share it here with you and ask that you join us on Wednesday, February 24th to create change with your shirt.
Before you read on, I want you to know something:
Once upon a time (2007) in a land not so far away (Nova Scotia), a boy showed up for his first day of Grade 9. It’s kind of a big deal, that first day, Grade 9 in a new school with so many new people. You want to make a good first impression. You want to be cool. You want to look good. His first day didn’t go as planned. He found himself to be the target of a group of boys who called him names and threatened to beat him up. Why? They didn’t like his pink shirt. The bullies followed him around, tormenting him, all day. It sucked.
It didn’t go unnoticed. Two students decided to do something about it. Travis and DJ were In Grade 12 and had seen things like this going on in their school for years. Enough is enough.
They went to the store and bought 50 pink shirts. They went home and emailed everyone they knew and asked them to email everyone that they knew. They said that “tomorrow we are creating A Sea of Pink. Wear pink to stand with this boy. Wear pink to stand up to the boys who bullied him. When we stand together wearing pink the bullies will be forced to step down.”
Travis and DJ showed up the next day and saw that their message was heard. Hundreds of students showed up wearing pink.
That grade 9 student walked in and saw everyone in pink and he smiled and he sighed and he knew it was going to be ok. He was not alone.
Today, the pink shirt has become a symbol against bullying all over the world. Pink Shirt Day is on February 24th and it is a day that we come together, creating a sea of pink.
For those of you who are empowered and ready to make a difference but don’t know where to begin – wear a pink shirt this Wednesday and let people know why you are wearing it. Pink Shirt Day empowers us to stand up against bullying because we do it together. It reminds us to be better people and create better, safer and more inclusive communities.
Change starts one shirt, one person, one school, one community at a time.
To learn more about Pink Shirt Day, visit http://pinkshirtday.ca/
Follow on @PinkShirtDay on Twitter. You can also follow my friend and founder of Pink Shirt Day, Travis Price, on Twitter @ThePinkDeal.
Find and Like Pink Shirt Day on Facebook too!
We support you on your journey from the USA. We are studious & dedicated so you can imagine some of the issues we come across. Good for you for standing up.
This is my first time on your blog, and I have to say, i’m completely blown away. I was at We Day yesterday and I was in awe of you. Growing up, iv’e always wanted to help the environment and others. But I wasn’t sure how to do that. I never knew that other people around my age wanted to make a difference in this world as much as I did. I had always thought that no mater what I did, no one would take me serious and everyone would think that I couldn’t do anything worthwhile. At a young age, I decided to become a Girl Scout. Lots of my friends had to same idea, so we formed Troop 2310. Unfortunately, the group has broken up, but while I was in it, I was so happy to be able to make a difference. Now, iv’e moved on to Student Government. I get to help my fellow students and that means the world to me. Seeing you and the other kid speakers at We Day has inspired me to prove myself wrong and make a difference. You helped me find my spark, and now i’m going to help others find their’s too. Thank You for helping me realize that the sky really is the limit. You are my #1 role model.
good job on pink shirt day. very nice blog.