One of those kids ready to dive in and soak it up, my daughter had just started kindergarten. Well liked by her teachers and peers, she made friends easily. Everyone liked Kate. Everyone but Mary.
Far from the nicest kid in the class, Mary chose Kate as her punching bag. The last straw fell the day it happened right in front of my eyes in the carpool line. Mary packed a snowball and belted it right at Kate’s face. I did what any mother would do. I got my child, parked my minivan and headed straight to the Principle’s office.
That was the last day Mary ever bullied Kate.
Bullying is a significant issue among today’s youth in places like school and online. In fact, one out of every four students is bullied during the school year, according to PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center® (PACER’s NBPC), a leading bullying prevention organization.
To help students learn how to prevent bullying in their communities, Duck® brand is partnering with PACER’s NBPC to spread the word with its “Stick Together™” program. Through this unique awareness-building initiative, Duck® brand will share a positive message with students about taking a stand against bullying.
“It’s disheartening that kids are afraid to go to the one place they should feel safest—school. It’s our hope that through our ‘Stick Together™’ program, we can help educate students on the seriousness of bullying,” said Patti LaPorte, senior category manager at ShurTech Brands, LLC.
To kick off the “Stick Together™” program, Duck® brand, known for its breadth of prints and colors of Duck Tape®, will launch a special print to reflect the “Stick Together™” theme. The tape features a multi-color handprint pattern to signify the importance of joining hands in this cause, while the adhesive qualities of a strip of Duck Tape® symbolize the strength students can possess when they “Stick Together™” and help one another. To further amplify this important lesson of respect and show support for PACER’s NBPC, a monetary donation of 10 cents for every roll of this print purchased (up to $20,000) will be made to PACER’s NBPCthrough 2015.
Bringing the message directly to schools, Duck® brand will be hitting the road with its custom, bright green, 31-foot Duck® Bus for its annual “Rolls Across America” Tour. The Duck® team will visit 25 schools from August through November, reaching approximately 10,000 students along the way.
During the tour, Duck® brand will encourage students to pledge to “Stick Together™” against bullying by signing a strip of Duck Tape®. The strips will then be attached to a banner that will be displayed in each school as an important reminder to students that the end of bullying begins with them.
Students will also receive a bookmark and information on where they can turn for help. Additionally, they’ll have the opportunity to experience a wide range of duct-tape memorabilia, displays, costumes and informationwithin the bus.
“We’re excited for the ‘Stick Together™’ program, as it really connects with our mission—emphasizing the importance of students supporting one another to bring an end to bullying,” said Julie Hertzog, director of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. “School-based bullying prevention programs like this have been shown to decrease bullying by up to 25 percent. We’re grateful to have Duck® brand join us in this ever-important cause.”
For additional details on the “Stick Together™” program, including where to purchase the special “Stick Together™” Duck Tape®, visit duckbrand.com/sticktogether.
