The Bullying Stops Here: Support Western Canadian Boys and Girls Clubs with Pink Shirt Day

February 11, 2015

Every seven minutes someone is bullied on a playground in Canada. A University of Guelph bullying study found that 50% of Canadian school children report being bullied with 45% of surveyed children feeling unsafe when they go to school. Bullying is demoralizing, lowers self-esteem, and has led to crime and suicides in Canada.

Bullying happens in many different forms but its purpose is to make someone else feel bad on purpose. Through awareness and education Canadians can continue to take a stand against bullying.

London Drugs is proud to be the official retail partner for the popular Pink Shirt Day campaign together with organizers CKNW Orphans’ Fund in support of anti-bullying programs. In its seventh year of participation, London Drugs continues to build awareness of this powerful as the exclusive retailer for the official pink shirts.

Over the past six years, London Drugs has raised more than $500,000 for Boys and Girls Clubs in Western Canada through the Pink Shirt Day campaign. In 2014, supporters of the campaign purchased over 18,000 Pink Shirt Day t-shirts from London Drugs.

Pink Shirt Day will be celebrated on February 25 this year; thousands of Canadians are expected to turn schools and businesses into a sea of pink to make some noise against bullying.

“Every Pink Shirt Day we try to raise as much noise as we can against bullying with students, teachers and community leaders coming together that day,” said Jen Schaeffers, Executive Director CKNW Orphans’ Fund. “We are grateful to have the continued support of London Drugs in our support of anti-bullying programs across Western Canada. The money raised from Pink Shirt Day shirts at London Drugs goes back into local community organizations mainly Boys & Girls Clubs across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.”

The 2015 pink shirt proclaims ‘This Pink Shirt Says Enough’ and is now available at all 79 London Drugs locations, as well as online at www.pinkshirtday.ca. The shirts are available in both adult and youth sizes for $9.80 plus tax and range in size from small to XXL.

Net proceeds directly support CKNW Orphans’ Fund who in turn will distribute funds to Boys and Girls Clubs across Western Canada as well as to several community anti-bullying programs.

Youth and organizations continue to support Pink Shirt Day following the stand of two grade 12 Nova Scotia students In 2007. The students took action after witnessing a grade 9 student being bullied for wearing pink to school and encouraged their schoolmates to wear pink to send a message against bullying. Since then wearing pink shirts has sent a powerful message that Bullying Stops Here.

Will you join in by wearing pink on February 25? Do you have a story about being bullied, how you stopped a bully or about how bullying has affected a loved one? Share your experiences here by leaving a comment or sharing your story on the Pink Shirt Day Facebook page.