Today, Wednesday, October 19, is Unity Day – the day where we stand together against bullying. Every October 19, PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center encourages communities and schools to “go orange” and encourage kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
Paula Goldberg, Executive Director of PACER Center says, “ORANGE provides a powerful, visually compelling expression of solidarity.” Goldberg elaborates, “When hundreds of individuals in a school or organization wear orange, the vibrant statement becomes a conversation starter, sending the unified message to kids to know that they are not alone.
Sara Ramirez, who is known for her roles on Grey’s Anatomy and the recent film Loserville, went orange for Unity Day in a CustomInk Be Good to Each Other shirt. All of the net proceeds of her shirt go directly to PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. She wore the shirt to the Loserville film premiere. Loserville has partnered with Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center to spread the message of Unity Day, and Sara filmed an anti-bullying message for her fans.
“One of every four school-aged children will be bullied this year – upwards of 13 million students,” says Julie Hertzog who is the director of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. “It’s important these students know they are not alone and that they have the right to feel safe. By joining together and wearing ORANGE on Unity Day, we can send the unified message that we care about student’s physical and emotional health and that bullying will no longer be accepted in this society.”
Read more about Unity Day here.