Pink Shirt Day co-founder speaks at Winnipeg school

One of the founders of Pink Shirt Day visited a Winnipeg high school on Wednesday as thousands of Manitobans donned pink T-shirts to call for an end to bullying.

Travis Price spoke to students at Gordon Bell High School as part of the Canadian Red Cross's annual Pink Day, now in its fifth year in Manitoba.

More than 350 schools and workplaces across the province are taking part in Pink Day events, with just under 18,000 people donning official pink T-shirts, according to the Red Cross.

"I think it's important that we talk about bullying. I think it's important that we arepart of the solution instead of being part of the problem," said Price, 26.

"It is up to us to help end bullying in our schools and in our communities."

In 2007, Price and David Shepherd heard about a student at their Nova Scotia school who was harassed for wearing a pink polo shirt.

• Bullied student tickled pink by schoolmates' T-shirt campaign
• Pink shirts inspire anti-bullying day

They brought 50 pink shirts to school the next day and encouraged other students to join what they called a "sea of pink" in support of the bullied student.

The pair then took their anti-bullying movement online, and it has since spread nationwide and beyond.

Matt Bucknor of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers also spoke at the Gordon Bell High School event, which was live streamed to participating schools outside the city.