Argos Huddle Up Program Helps Prevent Bullying In Schools

With March Break finished, the Toronto Argonauts are back in the schools for the second half of the award-winning Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program, presented by Tim Hortons. Argonauts players, cheerleaders and staff have already visited over 25 GTA schools in 2010 and are continuing their efforts to eradicate the major problem of bullying and cyber-bullying in elementary and high schools.

Jason Colero, Manager, Community Relations, Toronto Argonauts, remarked, ““It has been quite rewarding to see how many students we have affected through the Huddle Up program. We encourage the students not only to stop bullying others but to help others who they witness being bullied through our motto of ‘support, report, defend’. I can’t wait to see what kind of results we achieve through the remainder of our Huddle Up school visits.”

Marc Charette, a student at St. Stephen’s Catholic Secondary School, commented on the program, “I felt that the presentation gave me a new kind of confidence, which no anti-bullying presentation has ever given me before. I listened to the presentation and, knowing that someone else (especially such a famous person) has gone through the same thing as I have, yet still succeeded in their field, has helped me get though the rough times in my life. When Jason Colero first stepped onto the stage and talked about how he was bullied due to his height made me think about my year on the football team. I wasn’t very big or strong, but I always tried my best and my team ended up winning. I wasn’t planning on trying out for the football team next year, but Jason convinced me, with his story, that giving up in what you believe in isn’t the way to go. The presentation helped me put things into perspective, as well as many other people at St. Stephen’s.”

The Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program is a multi-faceted initiative that uses personal stories of Toronto Argonauts football players and cheerleaders to encourage friendship and inclusion, and reduce or eradicate bullying. The five program components involve student committees, parent/teacher information sessions, a school-wide assembly with an Argos player, a female-only session with an Argos cheerleader and a Student Summit at the completion of the school year. Annually, the Huddle Up program reaches over 30,000 students, and 700 of their parents with an impactful message that was developed in conjunction with the Canadian Safe School Network. In its ninth year, the Huddle Up program will culminate in the fourth annual Student Summit in May.

Media wishing to attend any Huddle Up in-school events must contact the Toronto Argonauts Communications Department in advance.

Here is a list of Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program school visits for the remainder of the school year:

March 23 Huddle Up Assembly – Mother Teresa Catholic S.S.
March 24 Huddle Up Student Committee Meeting – Father Clair Tipping E.S.
March 24 Huddle Up Female & Male Bullying Assemblies – Franklin Street P.S.
March 25 Huddle Up Student Committee Meeting – Father Henry Carr S.S.
March 25 Huddle Up Student Committee Meeting – St. Dorothy Catholic School
March 25 Huddle Up Female Bullying Assembly – Reesor Park P.S.
March 26 Huddle Up Female Bullying Assembly – Island Lake P.S.
March 29 Huddle Up Female Bullying Assembly – St. Stephen’s Catholic S.S.
March 29 Huddle Up Student Committee Meeting – Terry Fox Elementary School
March 30 Huddle Up Assembly – Eastern Commerce C.I.
March 31 Huddle Up Assemblies – Nativity of Our Lord Catholic School
April 6 Huddle Up Female Bullying Assembly – Gulfstream P.S.
April 6 Huddle Up Parent Teacher Information Night – Cardinal Ambrozic C.S.S.
April 7 Huddle Up Female Bullying Assembly – Nativity of our Lord Catholic School
April 7 Huddle Up Assembly – Father Bressani Catholic S.S.
April 9 Huddle Up Female Bullying Assembly – Corsair P.S.
April 12 Huddle Up Assembly – John A. Leslie P.S.
April 13 Huddle Up Female Bullying Assemblies – Northview Heights S.S.
April 14 Huddle Up Assembly – Lydia Trull P.S.
April 14 Huddle Up Female Bullying Assembly – Bellwood P.S.
April 16 Huddle Up Assembly – C.W. Jefferys C.I.
April 16 Huddle Up Female Bullying Assembly – St. Joseph S.S.
April 20 Huddle Up Female Bullying Assembly – St. Julia Billiart C.E.S.
April 21 Huddle Up Assembly – Father Clair Tipping E.S.
April 21 Huddle Up Assembly – Bellwood P.S.
April 26 Huddle Up Assemblies – Terry Fox Elementary School
April 27 Huddle Up Assembly – Father Henry Carr Secondary School
April 27 Huddle Up Assembly – St. Dorothy Catholic School
April 28 Huddle Up Assembly – Princess Elizabeth P.S.
April 28 Huddle Up Assembly – USDS Bayview Branch
April 29 Bullying Symposium Presentation – Blue Willow P.S.
April 30 Huddle Up Female Bullying Assembly – Sandalwood Heights S.S.