On Wednesday, February 29th I plan on making a statement - - and I hope you will too.

Bullying is a major problem in our schools, workplaces, homes, and over the Internet.  Over the next few weeks on Kruz-fm, we`ll be talking about some of these issues to help raise awareness, and hopefully urge everyone to stand up against bullies and step in when we see it happening.

Then on February 29, we encourage you to join other Canadians by wearing something pink to symbolize that we as a society will not tolerate bullying...anywhere.   Custom-made t-shirts can be ordered at PinkShirt Day.ca.  And, it`s our goal to see as many schoolkids, office workers, dignitaries and Kruz-fm listeners standing up to bullying.

It`s a great idea, and it`s all thanks to a couple of incredible Nova Scotia high school students. Here`s is a snippet of the Globe & Mail article that gives the background story to Pink Shirt Day:

"David Shepherd, Travis Price and their teenage friends organized a high-school protest to wear pink in sympathy with a Grade 9 boy who was being bullied…[They] took a stand against bullying when they protested against the harassment of a new Grade 9 student by distributing pink T-shirts to all the boys in their school.

‘I learned that two people can come up with an idea, run with it, and it can do wonders,’ says Mr. Price, 17, who organized the pink protest. ‘Finally, someone stood up for a weaker kid.’

So Mr. Shepherd and some other headed off to a discount store and bought 50 pink tank tops. They sent out message to schoolmates that night, and the next morning they hauled the shirts to school in a plastic bag.

As they stood in the foyer handing out the shirts, the bullied boy walked in. His face spoke volumes. ‘It looked like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders,’ Mr. Price recalled.

The bullies were never heard from again."

Yes, there is strength in numbers.    And, we`re pleased to report that several local schools, workplaces and organizations (including the City of Kawartha Lakes Boys and Girls Club) are already on board with Pink Shirt Day 2012.

Do you have a story about being bullied, how you stopped a bully or about how bullying has affected someone....and would like to share it with Kruz-fm listeners? Share your experiences here by leaving a comment or calling me on the Kruz-fm studio line (705) 745-2430.

In the meantime, check out PinkShirtDay.ca and tell your friends about it too.