Downtown Nanaimo Supports Pink Shirt Day

Diana Krall Plaza was filled with pink wearing supporters who turned out at lunch time to enjoy an anti-bullying rally in support of Pink Shirt Day. Onlookers were surprised to see an elderly lady harassing Nanaimo hip hop artist SirReal, just moments before his scheduled performance. The harassment stopped, when 30 pink shirt wearing NanGo Grannies and Haven House supporters "chased" the bullying woman away with chants of "enough, enough" and a rap performance supporting Pink Shirt Day. The group was there to promote the upcoming visit of author Barbara Coloroso who will be speaking at the Port Theatre on April 14th on breaking the cycle of violence and creating safe and more deeply caring communities.

Attendees were then treated to a fabulous performance by Nanaimo artists, SirReal and Jona Kristinsson who wowed the lunch time crowd of over 100, with a performance of their anti-bullying song entitled Words Like Weapons. Organizers, the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association, were joined by Steve Arnett from Nanaimo Youth Services Association, Mayor Bill McKay,City Councillors Diane Brennan and Bill Yoachim, all of whom spoke on the importance of our community standing together to ensure that bullying becomes a thing of the past, along with Councillors Jerry Hong, Wendy Pratt and Jim Thorpe. Warren Cook, General Manager of London Drugs. a national sponsor of Pink Shirt Day, told the crowd that over $400,000 has been raised to support anti-bullying awareness since the campaign began. The annual event ended with a photo of the downtown community standing shoulder to shoulder to support Pink Shirt Day.