Submitted
This article was submitted as part of a yearlong campaign organized by the Vision for Non-Violence Sylvan Lake Chapter and Building Bridges sub-committee to raise awareness of the family violence and bullying that takes place in Sylvan Lake and area, and the resources available to help cope with them.
A Grade 9 boy wore a pink polo shirt on his first day of school. Schoolmates harassed the boy, called him a homosexual for wearing pink and threatened to beat him up. Two Grade 12 students heard about the bullying actions and decided to do something about it.
The boys went to a nearby store and bought 50 pink shirts to wear to school the next day. Then they emailed classmates to get them on board with their anti-bullying cause that they dubbed a ‘Sea of Pink.’ Hundreds of students showed up wearing pink clothes, some head-to-toe.
When the student, who has never been identified, walked into school to see his fellow students decked out in pink, some of his classmates said it was a powerful moment for everyone.
Pink Shirt Day is on Wednesday, Feb. 25, and this year in Sylvan Lake, the Building Bridges committee is challenging all organizations, individuals, businesses and families to take a picture wearing pink and post it on the committee’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/visionfornonviolence) and #slpinkshirtday.