Bullying Awareness Week is observed across Canada each November, with students uniting to raise awareness, advocate for their peers, and push for safer schools and communities. Family Channel supports the Stand UP! campaign by inviting families to watch a curated lineup of bullying-awareness specials and by spreading the message at schools and online. A single social post using the campaign hashtag can amplify the message well beyond school corridors.
On Friday evenings, Family Channel presents the Stand UP! Rally, featuring performances by Victoria Duffield and Mike Tompkins. The broadcast includes exclusive pre-rally interviews with the artists, sharing why the cause matters and how young viewers can participate.
The event pairs music with personal stories from anti-bullying advocates. A notable speaker is Travis Price, the co-creator of Pink Shirt Day during high school. What began as an act of empathy for a ninth‑grader teased for wearing pink has grown into a worldwide movement that champions kindness and inclusive classrooms.
A reporter sat down with Travis before the rally to discuss bullying, resilience, and practical ways individuals can have an impact.
Travis recalls the moment that sparked Pink Shirt Day: a bus‑stop conversation after hearing that a younger student was teased for wearing pink. They chose an act meant to be remembered for support, not anger.
What obstacles did they face? Doubt crept in as the idea seemed small at first. The movement grew to touch communities across Canada and beyond, with messages reaching schools far away.
Travis shares his own bullying experience, describing years of taunts that escalated into physical violence. He recalls being shoved into lockers and attacked after school, injuries that gave him a vivid sense of cruelty. He stresses that this goes beyond childish meanness; it is harm that demands action.
His advice for young people coping with bullying is practical and hopeful: stand up together, tell a trusted adult, and step in when it is safe. A lone witness who speaks up can disrupt a bully’s plan and leave a lasting impact. He remembers a classmate on his first day of high school who asked the bullies to back off, a moment that changed his life.
What does he hope the rally will achieve? He aims to prove that someone who has faced bullying can still contribute meaningfully to their community. He notes that a small seed—just a few dollars and pink shirts—can grow into a movement that inspires others to start their own campaigns.
Asked about a fictional hero, he recalls a note from a New Brunswick audience that labeled him Batman, a symbol of ready support. The message fits: a visible presence that appears when people need help, offering courage and a reminder that anyone can prevail with support.
Viewers are invited to discover Family Channel’s Stand UP to Bullying campaign and Pink Shirt Day, and to watch rally coverage. The channel’s reporting continues to encourage students to act, share, and foster positive change in schools and communities (Source: Family Channel).