The Pink Heart Campaign is sweeping through St. Paul in memory of 11-year-old Megan Wolitski and in support of all those affected by the tragic incident at Racette School on Oct. 25.
The St. Paul and District Chamber of Commerce kick-started the movement when it began promoting the idea of posting pink hearts in the windows of local businesses. When Coun. Norm Noel heard of the initiative, he immediately thought of the larger scope of people that it could reach.
“I received the email from the Chamber regarding the local businesses to put the pink hearts in their windows to show support for the family, and I thought, geez, that would be a great idea for everybody to show their support and start the healing process as a community," Noel said. “I believe everybody wants to help these families. We want to help and we don't know how. It's a hard time for everybody."
The campaign has been adopted by the community with open arms, as businesses around town proudly post pink hearts, and members of the community have placed them on display on their cars and in their homes. All money from sales of the $5 pink hearts are going towards supporting the three families impacted by the crash.
Noel says that support has been so overwhelming that suppliers have run out of the colour used to create the hearts, and they have been selling out rapidly through the community.
“The community support has been amazing," Noel said. “We sold out the initial 100 or so, and the 500 (from Friday) were just about sold out when they hit the ground."
Noel says that he has ordered 2,000 more hearts, which should be arriving no later than Thursday. Pink hearts can be purchased at the Community Futures office, Lakeland Signs, or through Noel at Zarowny Motors.
The campaign has even reached those as far as Wainwright and Cold Lake. The Wainwright Global Fusion Peewee I team, as well as the Cold Lake Novice I team, visited St. Paul to take on the minor Canadiens, and every player on each team used pink stick tape on their blades.
“Life is all about changes and you never know what's going to happen. These boys on our team are very respectful and responsible group of kids," Nadine Olson, manager for the Wainwright Global Fusion Peewee I team, said in an email to the Journal. She said that the team felt that in times of need, it was important for people to rally together. “It's important for these boys to realize how life can change and (you) need to be thankful for everything you have."
The game between the Peewee I Canadiens and the Wainwright even saw the visiting team donate extra funds raised during a bottle drive to go towards supporting the Wolitski family.
The Cold Lake Royals also chose to show their support by sporting pink armbands during the Wheatland Football League championship game on Saturday afternoon, a game that the St. Paul Lions won to hoist their first WFL championship trophy in five years.
Noel added that the campaign will soon be involving pink rubber wristbands, which have been ordered and are expected to arrive in about a week. The wristbands will feature three pink hearts and the words, “We heal together," that will be distributed to students and staff of the St. Paul Education Regional Division. Any wristbands left will be sold to the public for the Pink Heart campaign.
People can find out more or make donations at the www.pinkheartcampaign.com website.
