More than 500 students, teachers, retired teachers and administrators from the Richmond School District danced in perfect harmony all in the name of the Fifth Annual Pink Shirt Anti-Bullying Day, Wednesday, Feb. 29.
Aberdeen Centre was awash in pink as a flash mob led by 10 dance leaders from MacNeill secondary danced to the delight of shoppers.
The leaders spent two months teaching elementary students the dance to preach anti-bullying.
Dance is a form of expression, explains Victor Lau, Grade 10 student at MacNeill secondary, And this is our expression of support for pink shirt day and anti-bullying.
Anita Perel and Jheric Hizon from A-Star Dance Studio, which choreographed the performance, share similar sentiments towards anti-bullying. After arranging and choreographing an anti-bullying flash mob video last year that went viral with more than 700,000 views on YouTube, the two were happy to promote anti-bullying again this year.
To watch the full video, visit http://youtu.be/oJ1A_IBi01E.
Statistics on bullying
(Courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada)
The survey shows clearly that the frequency of bullying is widespread and that Canadians are both deeply concerned about bullying and ready to act against this damaging form of abuse.
-89 per cent believe bullying poses a serious threat to the long-term wellbeing.
-50 per cent of Canadian adults surveyed were bullied as a child or teenager.
-62 per cent of those who were bullied believe they would have benefited from having a volunteer adult mentor to help them cope.
-Nearly a third think the abuse they suffered had a lasting harmful effect.
