Wear red to help combat racism in Ireland: This month the Immigrant Council launches annual anti-racism initiative, and you can support it

On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination the Immigrant Council of Ireland is asking everyone to wear red and help combat racism in Ireland

The Immigrant Council of Ireland’s anti-racism initiative supported by INTERSPORT Elverys, Wear Red Day, will take place on Friday, 21st March. To mark the day, the Immigrant Council is calling on schools, businesses, sports clubs and community groups across the country to wear red and raise vital funds to help fight against racism in Ireland.

All the funds raised through Wear Red Day will be used by the Immigrant Council to continue their work on tackling racism in Ireland. Over 200 schools and businesses took part in the initiative last year.

Commenting ahead of the event, Brian Killoran, CEO at the Immigrant Council said: “Wear Red Day is an important opportunity for schools, businesses, sports clubs and community groups alike to send out a strong message that they will continue to challenge racism in all forms. It is a shared responsibility across society, in our homes, schools, workplaces and communities, to ensure that an anti-racism ethos is maintained throughout the year.

“In launching our Wear Red Day initiative for 2025, we recently released a new educational video, talking to students, teachers and sports people about why racism cannot be tolerated in Irish society. You can find this important video here.”

This year with the support of INTERSPORT Elverys, schools can enter the Wear Red Day Competition to have a chance to win sports equipment for their schools.

Speaking about their involvement with Wear Red Day, Anne-Marie Hanly, Senior Marketing Manager for INTERSPORT Elverys commented: “We are proud to support the Immigrant Council of Ireland this year on Wear Red Day, part of their Show Racism the Red Card schools programme. This fantastic initiative aligns with our core values and resonates with our recent Investors in Diversity Silver accreditation. We look forward to awarding the €6,000 prize pool to the winning schools.”

Brian Killoran also added: “As well as wearing red, we’re also encouraging people to run activities throughout the day – everything from five-aside competitions, no-uniform days, to bake sales – all to help boost donations. We were delighted with the interest last year and want to see more people getting involved on 21st March!”

The Immigrant Council is encouraging participants to share their Wear Red Day activities on social media using the hashtag #WRD25 and donate €2 to help fight racism in schools around the country.

Wear Red Day is part of the Show Racism the Red Card anti-racism programme, which is operated in Ireland by the Immigrant Council. The programme provides educational resources, workshops, training and awareness-raising activities for primary and secondary schools, youth groups, workplaces and sporting stakeholders nationwide.

Further information on Wear Red Day is available at https://www.immigrantcouncil.ie/show-racism-red-card/wear-red-day