Students at the local high school are part of a Canada-wide initiative to take a stand against bullying in all its forms ––and as far as stands go, this has to be the most colourful.

   February 27 was Stand Against Bullying Day across the country, an idea with roots in a Nova Scotia high school where two young men helped the entire community take a true stand against bullying.

   On the first day of school in September, 2007, a boy wearing pink to class was surrounded and bullied by some in the school. Two other students, David Shepherd and Travis Price, decided to do something about it.

   The two purchased 75 pink shirts and many pink headbands and armbands for other students to wear. They spread the word and organized a schoolwide protest against the bullying.

   More than half the school showed up wearing pink that day, in support of the bullied student and as a message to those who would bully others –– you can’t bully all of us.

   The gesture sparked an anti-bullying campaign across the entire nation, culminating in Stand Against Bullying Day. Politicians, musicians, and countless students wore pink to show their own support, including dozens of students at CCHS.

   The local effort was coordinated by Kim Lewis of the Women’s Resource Centre and Lori Prentice at the high school. Lewis was impressed by how many students turned out in pink, and congratulated them on their commitment. "Any step we can take towards eliminating bullying is important,” she says.