The Rachel’s Challenge Club is beginning a new project- one that will reach the whole student body.  Partnering with Graphic Design, the club is designing T-shirts that will be distributed in the beginning of November.  Organizing the “Kindness Shirt Day” is inspired by the event J.C Booth participated in last year. Freshman Alex Lang had initiated a “pink shirt day,” last year when he attended Booth Middle School, to bring awareness to bullying and to promote kindness.  In Canada, where Lang grew up, his school participated in a pink shirt day each year. Lang was inspired to bring that about once he moved.  His community was so impressed with this initiative that they have already raised funds to promote it again this year at his new school – McIntosh.

At McIntosh, on a designated day still to be announced, students will wear the designed shirt or a shirt of the same color to spread awareness.  The shirts will be colored tangerine orange to represent the color of national anti-bullying awareness instead of pink, which conflicts with Breast Cancer Awareness.  On the shirt will be a circular chain representing the club’s motto- #StartAChainReaction(of kindness). Also on the shirt will be a quote from Rachel Joy Scott, the figurehead of the club.  Scott was the first victim in the Columbine High School shooting in 1999. Her family created this club to spread her message of compassion that she passed through her school, church, and community. The Rachel’s Challenge Club is nationally recognized in many schools and McIntosh developed its own club three years ago.

Not only are the Rachel’s Challenge Club and Graphic Design team working towards this goal, but parents have also stepped up to distribute shirts at lunch to make sure all students have an opportunity to buy one.  With over 200 shirts planning to be printed, the club hopes that faculty will participate in the Shirt Day as well to support the organization and its initiative.