I confess. Pink is not usually my favourite colour. (Pretty orchid, though.) I don’t think it’s because of all that stuff about blue being for boys and pink for girls, but who knows. You never know what nonsense seeps into an unguarded brain. Besides, that business didn’t really start until the mid-1950s, just a few years before I was born. I might not think that way, but it’s still not my favourite colour.
This week is different. This week I’m delighted to see pink all over the place. Pink posters, pink cards, pink t shirts, pink sweatshirts, pink flags, even some buildings, bridges and monuments will be lit up in pink, standing out against the rest of the night-time lights.
There’s a reason for it, of course. Somebody chose pink for Organ Donation Week. I suppose it can be bright and catch attention, and that’s what we need.
Organ Donation week was postponed this year. It had already been moved later into September than usual to allow schools to get their feet under the desks of a new term so they could join in. Giving schools a chance is a good move. More about that later this week. Then it was postponed again, due to the unexpected national event of the last couple of weeks.
So now here we are, 26th September to 2nd October. Organ Donation Week 2022. A week of making an attention-catching splash (in pink) about organ donation, how important it is and what an incredible difference it can make. A week of celebrating the gift of life, being aware of those who need it, inspiring each other to consider organ donation and making sure we all know each other’s decisions.
The organisers are inviting everyone to go pink for the week – “…bake a pink cake, wear pink socks, paint a pink unicorn, drink a pink drink…”, whatever, just have a bit of fun and show some support. In pink. If you want to play and need a few ideas, have a look at the Organ Donation Week Hub website – Organ Donation Week
So, this week I’ll wear a pink shirt. It may be a bit of a shock for those who know me. No bad thing. And I’m only buying one, so same shirt all week. (I’ll wash and dry it overnight I suppose…). See? No expense or effort spared to promote these conversations about organ donation. It’s important. Seriously, of course, it’s much more than that. It’s a matter of life or death, and wearing a pink shirt is really a very tiny gesture…
Stand up for (and in?) pink this week and show your true colours.
That pink shirt…