Think pink at the rink
Hockey teams partner with RCMP to raise awareness about bullying
Players are wrapping their hockey sticks in pink tape to send a message against bullying.
On Saturday, Nov. 24, the official kick-off to the Pink Tape Campaign will be marked locally at the Rath-eastlink Community Centre, part of a province-wide push against bullying by Hockey Nova Scotia and the RCMP.
“There can be a lifetime of consequences for people who have been bullied – emotional, self-esteem,” said Laurie Burcham, board member for the Truro and Area Minor Hockey Association. “It all comes down to education. The more we educate, the more aware we are of the consequences. Often, children don’t think so far ahead.”
All players will have pink tape on their sticks and one game at the RECC on Pink Tape Day will be designated as the highlighted game. It will be played at 10 a.m., between Truro Atom A Bearcats and the Cumberland Atom A Ramblers. An RCMP officer in ceremonial Red Serge uniform will be on hand to drop the puck.
The Pink Tape Campaign is being officially launched for the first time, thanks in large part to RCMP officer Blair Dole from Cole Harbour, who is also a hockey coach. After learning of a bullying incident on his team last season, he used pink tape to start a conversation among his players and help them address the issue.
Truro players will join others across the province to wrap their sticks in the pink tape and wear helmets with Pink Tape Campaign stickers.
The Pink Tape campaign comes at a time when bullying continues to be in the headlines, both locally and across the province.
In September, students from Cobequid Educational Centre walked out of class to call for legislation requiring that bullies excluded from school undergo a mental health assessment, before being allowed back in class. Their walk-out followed a violent assault in a school hallway that left a student injured.
Earlier this month, a Glace Bay student with cerebral palsy was forced to lie in a creek while a girl walked over him, as recorded on a cellphone video by laughing teens.
“We know the harsh reality is that bullying exists in many forms and in many facets of our society,” said Hockey Nova Scotia President Garth Isenor in a release. “By partnering with Const. Dole and the RCMP on the Pink Tape Campaign, we want our members to know that we support them and that they’re never alone. The rink must always be a safe and fun place where everyone feels welcome.”