It was Pink Day at Dr. Brass School last Wednesday.
In 2007, a Grade 9 student in Cambridge, N.S. was bullied by classmates for wearing a pink shirt to school. Taking notice, two Grade 12 students named Travis Price and David Shepherd rallied their friends to send a message to the bullies. The next day the halls were filled with students in pink t-shirts. This was the beginning of Pink Day.
Their actions sparked a world-wide movement shedding light on the issues surrounding bullying and inspiring others to ‘Be Someone’s Hero’ by speaking up when they see bullying happening.
Since then, over 233,000 people in Saskatchewan have participated in Red Cross Pink Day celebrations, and that included Dr. Brass students who listened to a presentation by Saskatchewan Roughrider Spencer Moore.
“I go to schools all across Saskatchewan,” he told students, adding he has a very simple message “be kind to one another.”
Moore said through the presentations he and other Roughriders make through the Red Cross they look to build “positive happy relationships” and to help inspire youth not to bully one another.
Moore read a story to the youngest students which focused on the importance of respecting others.
“Don’t get your pleasure from my pain,” he read. “… You don’t have to be my friend, but is it too much to ask not to laugh at me.”
Moore said “we’re all different,” and we must respect those difference. “I think that it’s awesome we’re all different … I think life would be very boring if everybody was the same.
“It’s OK to be different.”
Once you accept differences you “respect others for being who they are,” offered Moore. “You don’t have to be best friends with everybody but you should respect everybody.”
Moore said when he arrived in Regina to play for the Roughriders it was a big step.
“I was sad, scared, shy, nervous, but also excited,” he said, but added he found the locker room a great place right from the start. “The first thing I noticed was the respect everybody had for each other.”
Moore said it is also important to help others when you can.
“Something we say at the Red Cross is to be someone’s hero,” he said.
Moore said everybody has power and you can use that power in a positive fashion by “helping out if somebody needs help … Help someone when you see others needing help.” He added, “it’s important to use power for positive things.”
When you use power the wrong way it becomes bullying, said Moore.
“Bullying is an issue across the whole world,” he said, adding it is up to everyone to work toward stopping it.
“We need you to take on the role of stopping bullying,” said Moore.
Moore said there are different types of bullying youth can face, including physical, verbal, cyber and social, and it’s important youth know what each is. When you know what bullying is happening you can help those facing it deal with by getting help.
“It’s very important you help yourself, or other people,” said Moore, adding when facing bullying the first step is to look to a trusted adult, teacher, parent, sibling for help.
