BULLYING ENDS HERE UPDATE FOR DECEMBER
ONE MILLION!!!!
If you had said to me seven years ago that I would share Bullying Ends Here with even 1,000 people, I would have laughed at you. Public speaking is not my ‘thing’ I would have told you.
Fast forward to December 5, 2019 in Bonnyville AB, standing at centre ice of the C2 arena with hundreds and hundreds of students around. A milestone that I could never have fathomed became a reality. Somewhere in that audience represented the ONE MILLIONTH audience member.
I had to take a day to reflect on this and how it all came to be…..
October 15, 2011 a 15 year old young man named Jamie HUBLEY, whom I had never met, takes his own life due to years of relentless bullying and struggles with mental illness.
October 18(ish) 2011 I read about Jamie and his struggles for the first time in the news. I am devastated and determined to create a positive change.
November 2012 I do the first speaking engagement using the name ‘Bullying Ends Here’.
A teacher who tells another and so on to the point that I am doing presentations almost daily in the Surrey BC area on my days off work.
I meet Laura Ballance who owns the media group LBMG who puts me under her wing and creates a LOT of awareness about our program through major media outlets/networks.
I met Andy Buck from the Calgary Police Service who introduced me to many senior staff and ultimately my future colleagues. I would move to the Calgary Police Service in March 2014. Andy would become the VP of Bullying Ends Here.
The Bullying Ends Here Board of Directors is formed and multiple incredible people step forward wanting to help right up to this present moment.
In May 2015, Gary Mauris and Chris Kayat from Dominion Lending Centres step up and DLC becomes our founding sponsor.
That same year, I meet Ed Bender from Industrial Alliance who helps to secure some further funding for the charity.
Multiple Police Agencies from across Canada begin to hear about the work I am doing and start arranging presentations in their communities. Victim Services also works hard to have me speak at as many schools as possible.
In early 2016, I began to write my first book “Bullying Ends Here – My Life” which went on to become a Best Seller.
School Boards and Government agencies then begin to mandate the Bullying Ends Here program into their school curriculums all across Canada.
In August 2016 I am introduced to Marja Lust by my dear friend Danielle Bottineau of the Toronto Police Service who asks if I would share some of my program on the world stage in Amsterdam to various Police representatives from around the world. At this conference I am introduced to Anton Philip from the Met Police in London England who asks me to come and share within the London school network.
I met Darren Laur from the White Hatter who specializes in social media and digital literacy, and agrees to partner with Bullying Ends Here to help with all things cyber-related.
I then meet Elysia Hutchison from Elysium Design Concepts who begins helping create our marketing materials such as brochures, guides, cards, posters and various other merchandising materials.
In 2018, I met Debra George from PrairieAction Foundation who works tirelessly to get Bullying Ends Here into our Northern Communities in the Prairies and further funding.
Over time I am then introduced to Garrett Gaudet from Strobe Creative who recreates our entire website to make it more user friendly.
In 2019 Debbie Schmidt works her magic to find yet another sponsor for Bullying Ends Here via her friend Andrea Van Bakel and Norwex. A great relationship is formed.
Although there are many many other important events that took place over the years for Bullying Ends Here, the fact is that nothing would have happened if not for teamwork and your dedication to the cause. We have never wavered from our goal of helping youth navigate a world full of challenges and complexities as they grow older. We are committed to creating a world that Jamie HUBLEY wanted to see where everyone is equal, accepted and KIND to one another.
Finally I have to thank all of my friends who allowed me to run with this crazy idea of wanting to help others. When sooo many told me this was a ‘stupid idea’, ‘would never work’ and ‘it’s impossible to do’, my friends supported me every step of the way….including sacrificing our own time together.
My heart always told me that this was going to work and I think we can all now agree that it has…and will continue to do so. With over 100 more presentations already booked, it’s not unreasonable to expect TWO MILLION to come at some point.
Dominion Lending Centres has stood by our side for years as we did our community outreach and to find ways to continue to grow our program in such a way that it can impact so many more. I cant wait to share with you what we have planned in 2020. If you think it’s been ‘fun’ so far, hold on tight!
The Bullying Ends Here Kindness Tour has now completed over 55 presentations all through BC and AB over the last 60 plus days. With another 200 days of driving all the way to St. John’s NFL and then back again to Calgary, we are expected to reach almost a quarter of a million more. None of this could be possible without the incredible support of DLC and it’s team members. We are all in this together!