RED DEER -- Students and faculty at Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School were wearing their brightest pink shirts today to stand up against bullying.

Pink Shirt Day started in Nova Scotia in 2007 when two students saw a fellow student being bullied for wearing pink.

The two then bought pink shirts and handed them out for other students to wear to show support for the individual who was being bullied. Since then, it has become a worldwide anti-bullying initiative.

“It’s a day where we want to all show some unity around our focus and how important we think it is to be respectful and to be kind to all kids and to all groups in this school,” said Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School Principal Chris Good.

Good added that days like today remind everyone of the importance of being united.

“It’s been a very challenging year for the students and for the staff and for everyone,” said Good.

“But, it’s also a year where it’s more important than ever that we’re all working together and that we’re all on the same page and that we’re all helping each other out.”

To Grade 11 student Elena Bakker, Pink Shirt Day represents solidarity and showing support to fellow students.

“I think Pink Shirt Day is important because it’s about showing solidarity to our classmates and letting kids know that no matter how alone they feel there’s a community full of people who want to support them and who want to lift them up and help them succeed,” said Bakker.

“It’s really nice to see so many kids wearing a pink shirt and even when it’s someone you’ve never talked to, you know that they support you and you support them with something as simple as wearing a pink shirt.”

Learning Assistance Teacher Trina Penner said Pink Shirt Day serves as a reminder to always be kind.

“It gives us all an opportunity to slow down a little bit and remind ourselves that you need to be kind to yourself but also to everybody else.”