Kindness is sporting a familiar green this year.
The Lloydminster and District Co-op’s Kindness Wins campaign, entering its 16th year, has officially launched with proceeds from clothing sales supporting local initiatives.
This year, the campaign’s typical pink is joined by the Lakeland College Rustlers women’s hockey team’s green.
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“We’re super excited about the Kindness Wins Campaign this year,” said Peter Brown, Lloydminster and District Co-op CEO. “Our biggest change was moving over to the Lakeland Rustlers and partnering with this team, the women’s Rustlers hockey team.
“Come in, support, get a cool shirt. We have them in pink, or the special colour this year is green. The same green as the Rustler’s women’s hockey team.”
Funds from the clothing will support Beyond Borders Circle of Change along with the Rustlers.
“Anytime we move to a different partner, they also get a small royalty,” said Brown, noting they’re looking to top total fundraising from last year.
“I believe it was $56,000 (raised all time). Our largest year was last year and we’re really hoping to blow that out of the water, again,” he said.
Beyond Borders Circle of Change has already had 15 schools apply for the $300 grants they provide.
“With that money, we stream it into what we call our Kindness Wins grant program,” said Melissa Plamondon, Beyond Border Circle of Change, board member. “Every school is invited to apply for a $300 grant to go toward a kindness wins initiative within their school.”
Holy Rosary High School and the Lloydminster Comprehensive High School have Kindness Is Power (KIP) teams, which support anti-bullying efforts.
“There’s a KIP team that exists in both Holy Rosary High School and Lloydminster Comprehensive High School,” said Plamondon. “These are students in grades 10 through 12 that are trained to become youth facilitators of bullying prevention programming to younger students. They’re also trained in healthy youth relationship programming as well.”
The KIP teams receive training and promote kindness and bullying prevention in the community.
“I think it’s always great to promote kindness and compassion within our community,” said Plamondon. “There’s always room for growth in that area and it’s just a very positive morale boost.”
Ife Antonio, a student involved with the KIP team at Holy Rosary, says this campaign has a direct impact on the schools.
“Kindness Campaign is very influential and impactful,” she says. “Through my work from KIP and Lloydminster Youth Council, just seeing the impact of what our youth voices can do and what that brings to our community is really important.”
The group’s usual programming, including costume contests and Pink Drink Day, will be expanded this year.
“This year, (we’re) kind of switching that up and going from week to week so we can see the impact throughout the month and also (so) everyone can be actively a part of that,” said Antonio.
She says participation is key.
“Once we go in and advocate for these things, we show that bullying is not OK and we don’t want that in our community. We see that turnaround and that switch for many students in our school,” she said.
Shirts, sweaters and all clothing is available for purchase locally.
“They can participate both at the marketplace, they’re at all four of our gas bars and in the Neilburg grocery store,” Brown explained.
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