It may be called Battle of the Badges, but its message is all about unity.
Local firefighters and police officers will be facing off at the Sungod Arena in North Delta on Feb. 28 to help spread the message that, when it comes to how we should behave with one another, we’re all in this together.
“We’re united in saying no to bullying,” says Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord of the annual Pink Shirt Day event. “Let’s join hands in making Delta a place where everyone is treated with respect and understanding.”
Delta’s Fire and Emergency Services’ chief agrees.
“Too often, we hear about bullying in schools, workplaces, homes and online,” says Guy McKintuck. “Bullying has a very negative impact on people of all ages. We have a shared responsibility to prevent bullying and to ensure our communities are safe, inclusive, and respectful for everyone. Please use Pink Shirt Day as a time to come together to stand up against bullying and take a moment to pause and reflect on how we treat each other.”
This year’s hockey game starts at 10:25 a.m. with two periods of 20-minute run time. In the stands will be almost 2,000 students from across the Delta School District and Tsawwassen First Nation. They will be cheering on their favourite team before returning to their schools for afternoon classes.
Spreading the anti-bullying message in such a fun way is important to everyone at the Delta Board of Education, says board chair Val Windsor.
“We know students learn best when they feel a sense of belonging,” Windsor says. “This event helps to highlight the importance of looking beyond differences and treating everyone with kindness and respect.”
Last year, Battle of the Badges returned after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Everyone involved is excited to once again raise awareness of the negative impact of bullying on both the person being bullied and the bully, as well strategies to prevent harmful behaviour.
Joining the students in shouting their support of such initiatives to the rafters will be local mascots including Delta Police Department’s Safety Bear, Delta Fire and Emergency Services’ Flash the Fire Dog), the Vancouver Giants’ Jack the Giant and the Delta Ice Hawks’ Del the Hawk.
“I am immensely proud of the continued collaboration between the City of Delta, Delta Fire, Delta Police, and Delta School District on making this fun and important event happen,” added Mayor George Harvie. “Battle of the Badges honours Pink Shirt Day by bringing together our community to champion inclusivity and stand against bullying. Today, and every day, let’s lift each other up and spread kindness in everything we do.”
