A crowd of A.E. Perry Elementary Students gathered at the school assembly for Pink Shirt Day. (Image Credit: Curtis Goodrum / CFJC Today)

By Curtis Goodrum

PINK SHIRT DAY

Students at A.E. Perry Elementary show kindness for annual Pink Shirt Day

Feb 25, 2026 | 5:12 PM

KAMLOOPS — The last Wednesday of February marks Pink Shirt Day for students across Canada.

The day started in 2007 when two students from a Nova Scotia school bought 50 pink t-shirts after their friend was bullied for wearing pink. Since then, schools have been preaching kindness to others throughout February.

The focus on anti-bullying and kindness is something the principal of A.E. Perry Elementary instills in her students throughout their years at the school.

“Some of the questions that we ask, ‘Are you doing the right thing or the wrong thing in the moment?’ They often know that what they’re doing in the moment is not the right choice. We try to get them back into their prefrontal cortex to make good decisions. During this month, we ask ‘If you are doing something kind?’ ‘Are you treating others the way that you want to be treated?’ Those are sort of our guiding questions for right now,” said Principal Susie Mabee.

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Pink has been worn for the whole month and students have made a conscious effort to show compassion for one another.

“I want to say Pink Shirt Day is for everybody. It’s not just one day of the year. It’s for every day of the year. You shouldn’t be kind just on this day, you should be kind every day,” said Keerit Khabra, a Grade 4 student.

“If there wasn’t kindness in the world then a lot of bad things would happen,” said Araya Shirk, a Grade 2 student.

The story of the sea of pink that began in Nova Scotia 19 years ago resonates with many of the students at A.E. Perry.

“I wore my pink shirt because I kind of find it to be a reminder to everyone to be more kind to. It lets people know that you’re a kind person,” said Hassina Antolin, a Grade 6 student.

“It reminds me of the story that made us think, like, start wearing pink shirts,” said Aubree Dupuis, a Grade 7 student.

“When others are kind to me, it makes me want to help somebody else which makes me feel joy inside,” Irioluwanimi Osuntunde, a student in Grade 1.

The school says they have been practicing kindness all month and hopes students, when they move on from the school, continue to be kind.