JOIN US! WALK WITH US! PLEDGE SUPPORT! BE FRIEND STRONG! 💜
On Sunday, June 9th from 11:00 - 2:00 pm at the main Valhalla Campus of Westchester Community College, the national Teen Kindness Board (TKB) of the Be A Friend Project hosts their 2nd Annual Walkathon “walking towards a kinder world” to end bullying!
The Teen Kindness Board helps guide the "kids for kids" programming of the Be A Friend Project. All members, ages 13 - 19, are peer-selected for their self-motivated acts of KINDNESS, BULLYING PREVENTION and PEER ADVOCACY. Dedicated to the BAFP mission to end bullying and its traumatic consequences, save lives and build kinder communities, TKB 'Upstanders' hope to raise awareness through this Walkathon that bullying is never just "kids being kids." Approximately 6 children (ages 10 and up) die by suicide every day in the U.S. related to bullying, and there are at least 100 attempts for every one of those. WALK or PLEDGE to help amplify our message to kids and teens surviving life-changing bullying: STAY STRONG! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
This BAFP Walkathon is the brainchild of TKB member AIDAN DUVER who served as its Chair until May 24th, 2023, when he passed away after a 2-year battle with cancer at just 18 years old. The Walkathon is a legacy of Aidan's work and passion to make the world "a brighter place." Visit Aidan's tribute area at the Event Village! Purple hearts abound for our beloved TKB Upstander who continues to lead and inspire us all. 💜
The Walkathon's Event Village opens at 11am for registration with games and food – and a support table hosted by WCC Mental Health and Counseling Services. The opening ceremony begins at 12:00pm followed by the Walkathon start at 12:30 on a 1.5 mile course.
Opening Ceremony includes honoring TKB members who have "aged on" by inducting them into The Lion Pride! Ethan Katz and (posthumously) Aidan Duver will be awarded a Lion Trophy on June 9th.
TKB and school satellite teams: You have until June 23rd to complete your walk!
Sponsors
HERO LEVEL $1,000+
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CHAMPION LEVEL $500 - $999
PARTNER LEVEL $250 - $499
piecesofusthefilm.com
ADVOCATE LEVEL $100 - $249
Sponsorships support the efforts of the national Teen Kindness Board and show that your company stands against bullying and its traumatic consequences. For Event Sponsorship questions, please contact Heather Pinieri at 802-342-8153 or heather@beafriendproject.org.
The Lion Pride Awardees
The Lion Pride is an honorary alumni group for our active Teen Kindness Board members when they “age on” from the board, no longer “teens.” Each new member of The Lion Pride will receive a lion trophy in an induction ceremony, and have their name etched into a perpetual plaque, in honor of the work they have done as students to end bullying and create a kinder, more inclusive world.
ETHAN KATZ
AIDAN DUVER was a member of the Broadway World winning professional production of “IT’S EASY! The Friend Strong Musical” playing the role of Jed Travis in 2017. He became a Super Ambassador and a founding member of the Teen Kindness Board. He was peer-elected to be Chair in August of 2022. He was integral in guiding our "kids for kids" (as he called it) organization. Aidan was admired by his peers for his calm and caring leadership that will continue to inspire us all for the rest of our lives.
Aidan gifted the BAFP his golden voice and amicable personality to do voice-over narration for our "sizzle reels" and perform in our showcases. During apparent chemo, radiation, and surgical treatments, he did not hide away from the spotlight. Aidan took the stage regardless, because he believed he could still make a difference and change the world with kindness - and he did - as he put it, "make the world a little bit brighter," especially for bullied kids, for whom he had great empathy.
In his college essay titled "Living Through the Impossible" about the day he found out he had cancer, Aidan wrote "I’ve learned that kindness and love are so powerful. Just a smile exchanged with someone on the elevator lightens the load a little." Aidan was working on our inaugural Walkathon when he passed away at the age of 18. He worked right up until the very last day he could, and we are pretty sure he is still working on spreading kindness and helping people from where he is smiling down on us!
ETHAN KATZ turned 20 on October 16, 2023. As a "tween," Ethan performed in the 2015 Worldwide debut production of "IT'S EASY! The Friend Strong Musical" in the Bronx and was an original member of that 2015 youth actor focus group that helped to develop the Be A Friend Project!!
Ethan's involvement over the past 8 years has included making "Super Ambassador" in 2018 as the longest-running individual letter writer of "Friend Mail" to bullied peers, and in 2020 being selected as a founding member of the Teen Kindness Board where he has since participated in quarterly meetings and programming.
No longer a teen, Ethan becomes the first to "age off" the Teen Kindness Board. As a 2015 junior cast member that helped inspire the BAFP, he finds a place of honor in our kids for kids organization history for his resilience, commitment, and passion as being the BAFP's longest-running UPSTANDER working to make a difference, end bullying and build a kinder world!