Tauranga people put on pink yesterday in support of a global anti-bullying campaign.
On Pink Shirt Day people around the world wear the rosy hue as a statement against bullying in all its forms.
It started in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand in support of a classmate who was bullied for wearing pink.
The day comes at the end of Bullying-Free NZ week.
Mount Maunganui College celebrated with a Pink Shirt Day mufti day.
At lunch students and staff arranged themselves on the field to spell out "Bully Free NZ".
The message was captured from above by the school's resident drone operator, Joe Spiers, 13, a keen filmmaker.
College principal Russell Gordon said the week had been all about starting conversations about bullying, using YouTube videos and posters.
"So we're not approaching it in a forced or contrived way. When kids feel the need to talk about it - they talk about it."
A highlight of the week had been hearing I am the Girl, a poem about bullying by 17-year-old student Te Maringi Marsh, he said.
Te Maringi, a Kaupapa Maori student leader, said she drew from her own experiences with bullying, as well as those of friends and whanau.
"I hope it gets people listening to the message, that we have got to crack down on this."
The number of students and staff in pink showed the message was getting through, she said.
A $47m redevelopment was announced in 2018 for 57 teaching spaces.