It started as a lark, but now International Yellow T-Shirt Day has reached its 40th anniversary! Fork River's René Hübener, also known as the Parkland Poet, was 17 years old and in high school when he started Yellow T-Shirt Day to see how many people would wear yellow t-shirts.
“People actually wore them! So, in the following years, we decided to start sending out press releases to the media and we found over the next 2, 3, 4 years, it really caught on with the media and more and more people were wearing yellow t-shirts to celebrate Yellow T-Shirt Day. To the point where in 1984, it became an international news story on the radio and every English speaking radio station in the world was running a story about International Yellow T-Shirt Day.”
1984 was the biggest year for International Yellow T-Shirt Day, and Hübener was interviewed over 300 times and also had one interview running on a radio network that broadcasts to 750 radio stations around the world.
When asked how he feels now that the day has reached 40 years, Hübener jokingly said, "Old!"
“It’s pretty bizarre, we’ve kept it going, my friends and I, just because it’s been so much fun over the years and we had our little hey day in the ’80s there. But, on this 40th anniversary, it really is cool to think that as a group of friends we continue to wear yellow, share yellow, on the International Yellow T-Shirt Facebook page.”
Something he’s noticed about wearing yellow on this day over the years, is the fun that those participating have.
“Yellow is a very happy, positive colour. It’s a neat thing to be a part of something that other people are a part of, and in this case, it’s a fun, happy, and bright colour, so I encourage everyone on Thursday, April 30th (Tomorrow) to wear yellow and just take part in it and be happy.”
While the virus has put a damper on the fun they were planning to have for the 40th, René has his eyes set on a big 50th year.
