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Burnaby Mounties build bridges with friendly Pink Shirt Day game

Burnaby Mounties were pretty in pink this week as they took on Burnaby Central students and staff in a friendly game of floor hockey ahead of anti-bullying day Feb. 22.

Burnaby Mounties were pretty in pink this week as they took on Burnaby Central students and staff in a friendly game of floor hockey ahead of anti-bullying day Feb. 22.

About 15 local officers took to the floor in the school’s gym Tuesday wearing pink shirts designed by TRUST (Teens Resolving Uncertain Situations Together), a student group that organizes Central’s annual Pink Shirt Day activities.

“This was our first big RCMP event, which is really cool,” said Central teacher and TRUST staff sponsor Ryan McLean. “We love promoting connection with the police and with our school.”

Rookie Burnaby RCMP Cst. Riley Cullen approached the school with the idea, McLean said, as part of a project officers are required to complete when they join the force.

Cullen, who is from Mission, B.C., spoke briefly before the game on the importance of confronting bullying to prevent tragic deaths like those of Amanda Todd, Rehtaeh Parsons and Mission teen Dawn-Marie Wesley, all teenagers who ended their own lives after being bullied.

Team RCMP took on groups of Central students and staff, including students from the school’s Whitecaps soccer and Burnaby Winter Club hockey programs.

Jordyn Huitema, of the girls Whitecaps program drew first blood. TRUST member David Chadima added a second and Nick Fussell of the boys Whitecaps program rounded out Central’s scoring with another.

The Mounties scored one.

Anti-Bullying Day or Pink Shirt Day on Feb. 22 is an annual day of solidarity against bullying founded in 2007 by a pair of Nova Scotia high school students after they witnessed a new student at their school being teased for wearing a pink shirt.

 

Pink Shirt Day, an annual day of solidarity against bullying celebrated in more than 25 countries worldwide.

Students and staff across School District No. 41 wore pink to school Wednesday.

This year students at Burnaby Mountain, Seaforth and Parkcrest also enjoyed a presentation from Travis Price, one of the co-founders of the anti-bullying day.

In 2007, he and another student at his Nova Scotia high school wore pink in solidarity with a new student being teased for wearing a pink shirt.

- See more at: http://www.burnabynow.com/community/burnaby-school-board-pinks-it-up-at-meeting-1.1776081#sthash.kWvhclxf.dpuf

Anti-Bullying Day or Pink Shirt Day on Feb. 22 is an annual day of solidarity against bullying, founded in 2007 by a pair of Nova Scotia high school students after they witnessed a new student at their school being teased for wearing a pink shirt.