Today marks Anti-Bullying Day across the province, so unpack your pink duds and do something nice.
Collingwood anti-bullying advocate Trevor Henson won’t be present to reveal and raise a brand new flag in honour of Pink Shirt Day on Wednesday morning at the Collingwood Public Library because of COVID-19 restrictions, as members of the public are being asked to not attend.
Instead, Henson hopes this year that members of the community will acknowledge the day by putting a bit of extra kindness out into the world.
“You can email each other... be kind, open doors for each other, say hello, please and thank you. Small steps,” said Henson. “I volunteered my time to shovel out fire hydrants. A little step can go a long way.”
“If you do a random act of kindness, people will recognize it,” he said.
Henson was bullied growing up, and says sharing stories of bullying on social media on Wednesday can also be a powerful statement.
“They can talk about bullying, whether it be cyberbullying or other kinds of bullying. It helps to share and it helps diffuse problems,” said Henson. “Words can hurt people.”
Henson is a regular guest speaker at the library’s Anti-Bullying Club which was started in 2017. The purpose of the club is to bring together people to discuss issues, share personal stories, and plan public education projects related to anti-bullying. Since COVID-19 hit, the club has continued to meet virtually.
Anyone interested in joining the library’s Anti-Bullying Club can register at the public service desk at the library, or call 705-445-1571.
