Youths and other community members will be painting the Tri-Cities pink in advance of Pink Shirt Day Feb. 22 to promote anti-bullying and victim support efforts.
Pink Shirt Day is part of a collective effort over the last decade to explore ways to prevent bullying and support those who are victims of bullying. Celebrated annually, Pink Shirt Day began in Canada in 2007 when two Nova Scotia high school students, David Shepherd and Travis Price, took a stand against homophobic bullying by distributing pink t-shirts to all the boys in their school.
Today, it's widely supported in B.C., with numerous events taking place, including in the Tri-Cities. Here's what's scheduled so far locally:
• Feb. 14: Port Coquitlam youth and the I Am Someone Ending Bullying Society will be at the city council meeting asking council to proclaim Feb. 22 as Pink Shirt Stop Bullying Day in PoCo.
• Feb. 19: There will be special activities in support of Pink Shirt Day during the Coquitlam Express Game at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex in Coquitlam. There will be a free tailgate party hosted by Phoenix Truck and Crane, with any donations going to the I Am Someone Ending Bullying campaign to support the text 211 2Talk program, which provides resource and referral services to youth who feel lonely, bullied or scared. More details about the game are available at coquitlamexpress.ca.
And on Pink Shirt Day, the PoCo Youth Centre will host a breakfast for youth and a community dinner:
• At the breakfast from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., youths from local middle and secondary schools will gather for this pink-themed event, including breakfast snacks, educational and thought-provoking activities, with a focus on how to deal with bullying, and activities that are led by the Poco Youth Crew.
Members of the RCMP have been invited to attend the event and will provide information on the upcoming Junior Mountie Camps. As well, Safeway will be supporting the event through food donations and volunteering.
Resources and self-help information will also be available. Registration is free and can be done online at experienceit.ca course #18801 or, if online registration is not an option, it can also be completed over the phone by calling 604-927-7529
• And from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the rec complex (Wilson Centre main lounge), there will be a pink-themed dinner featuring pink deserts and fun, interactive and thought-provoking activities. Everyone is asked to wear pink and Coquitlam Florists is donating flowers for the event.
Donations for food costs are accepted although registration is free and can be done online at experienceit.ca course #18802 or by phone at 604-927-7529.
Learn more about Pink Shirt Day at pinkshirtday.ca and find a searchable directory of community resources at redbookonline.bc211.ca.
