February 16 Was Pink Shirt Day!

The Sun West School Division celebrated Pink Shirt Day this year on February 16.

The nationally recognized Pink Shirt Day usually occurs on the last Wednesday of February every year; however, this year, that date falls during the Family Week break and so the Ministry of Education declared Wednesday, February 16, 2022 as Pink Shirt Day in Saskatchewan.

Pink Shirt Day began in 2007 when a student in Nova Scotia was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. Here is a snippet of an article detailing the original incident:

“David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organized a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied [for wearing a pink shirt]…[They] took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school. ‘I learned that two people can come up with an idea, run with it, and it can do wonders,’ says Mr. Price, 17, who organized the pink protest. ‘Finally, someone stood up for a weaker kid.’ So Mr. Shepherd and some others headed off to a discount store and bought 50 pink tank tops. They sent out messages to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school in a plastic bag. As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Mr. Price recalled. The bullies were never heard from again.”
— GLOBE & MAIL

Since this idea first began, it has grown each year, with worldwide support and participation. Countries across the globe now organize anti-bullying fundraisers of their own, empowering students and others to speak out against bullying, homophobia and transphobia.

Stand Up, Stand Strong, Be KIND, and don’t forget your pink shirt!