COLD LAKE - The Cold Lake Energy Centre Imperial Oil Place Arena was a sea of pink on Feb. 7 as the Cold Lake Junior B Ice and the Cold Lake Bully Free Committee teamed up for the annual Pink the Rink event.
The initiative is meant to bring awareness to bullying in sports and promote a culture of kindness and inclusivity.
"Cold Lake Bully Free puts on a Pink the Rink colouring contest every year. Just to promote anti-bullying," said Brittany Langer, Community Partnerships Facilitator for Cold Lake and District FCSS.
The contest invited kids to colour a picture of a hockey player, with the winning submission earning special recognition.
“This year we had 153 colouring pages come in, and Alexa Williams was our winner," Langer shared.
Williams got to celebrate with a special game night, receiving a hoodie, unlimited snacks, and a VIP experience that included a dressing room tour, puck drop, and Junior B Ice swag.
The Pink the Rink initiative is part of Cold Lake Bully Free’s broader efforts to combat bullying in the community. "Cold Lake Bully Free is working hard in schools and out of schools all around the City of Cold Lake just to help prevent bullying in any way they can," Langer said.
"I think Pink in the Rink is a really great way to start the conversation about bullying. It's not necessarily a direct anti-bullying activity, but it gets the topic and the idea of Cold Lake Bully Free out there and just brings up conversations of putting an end to bullying."
Fans were also encouraged to wear pink for a chance to win Junior B swag in a special draw.
"I think this is probably one of our biggest events because we're able to get it out to so many people . . . So it really is a good attendance," Langer noted.
Langer encouraged anyone in need of resources to promote the bully-free message to reach out. Anyone interested can contact FCSS via email for more information or support.
