Event Description
Event Description
The Stop Bullying! Family 5K Run, Walk and Roll provide the funding needed so students can anonymously report bullying, drugs, weapons and suicide concerns in their schools. This event, held during National Anti-Bullying Month, is a fun way for families to come together and show their support for safe schools.
The Stop Bullying Family 5K Run and Walk provide the funding needed so students can anonymously report bullying, drugs, weapons and suicide concerns in their schools. This event, held during National Anti-Bullying Month, is a fun way for families to come together and show their support for safe schools.
The Stop Bullying! 5K Family Run starts at 10:00 AM and the Walk and Roll starts at 10:15 AM.
Awards for the 5k will be given to the top 3 finishers (both male and female) of the 5K race and top finisher in each age group (both male and female): under 20, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, over 70.
Prince George’s County Md Stop Bullying! 5k Family Run, Walk and Roll is to help stop bullying in Prince George’s County and similar events are held in other counties, to commemorate National Anti-Bullying Month. Visit www. https://www.text2stopit.org/family-5k-run-walk-roll.html for a complete list of our other events.
All 5K participants registered by September 25, 2019, will receive a shirt. Late registrants are not guaranteed shirt and size.
Participants receive:
Cool Race Shirt
Finisher Medals
Overall and Age Division Awards
Prizes
Fees/Donations: Until 9/25 After9/25
5K Adult Run/Walk $30.00 $35.00
5K Youth Run/Walk (18 and under) $10.00 $15.00
Text 2 Stop It! – Who Cares You Care Program
Each year as many as 100,000 students drop out of school and as many as 160,000 students per day stay home because of bullying. 60% of students will not tell this to their parents. In secondary schools, 20% report serious thoughts of suicide. 33% of students who have been bullied brought weapons to school. Bullying has been present in 66% of school shootings that the US Secret Service has investigated.
Text 2 Stop It! and Who Cares You Care, along with our Nonprofit and Corporate Safe Schools Partners have a solution to this problem that works, and it is as simple as allowing students to report harmful issues, in their schools via anonymous texting. Why texting? Because students feel more comfortable anonymously reaching out by text and more willing to share their concerns. Text 2 Stop It! has worked in several Maryland counties and is now authorized for all Maryland schools under House Bill 669 passed in 2017. However, since the bill or the county have not provided the funding we are raising money to expand the program to Prince George County.
Text 2 Stop It! Success
Since 2013, Text 2 Stop It! has been working and saving the lives of students in parts of Maryland. This is being done through our two-way anonymous tip program which allows students to report harmful activities in their schools. Why text? Well, if you have a teenager the answer is obvious. It is the form of communication they feel most comfortable with and Text 2 Stop It!™ fits into their comfort zone. Text 2 Stop It!™ is not a leave-a-tip program or a student counselling program. It is the only two-way anonymous texting hotline that gathers detailed information and sends it back to the schools, so the issue can be diffused.
The results? In just this limited reach of two school districts, comprising of 10,000 students, we have successfully reduced bullying by over 58% during a time when the state was up 32%. We exposed drug dealers from half of the middle and high schools, intervened in nine student suicides, one being a suicide pact involving several students. There were also several weapons brought to schools that were reported to Text 2 Stop It!. One of the weapons reported was an assault rifle, posted on Instagram, belonged to a high school student who was dressed and equipped to carry out Columbine or Parklawn type massacre. Our successes have been covered by several news outlets and were recently featured on the Fox 45 News show Project Baltimore. The program works because students want safe schools and are protected anonymously reporting these things by text, versus filling out a multipage bullying form that asks for your name, which could result in them being labelled a “snitch”.
School Safety Partners
Non-Profit School Safety Partners - These are organizations like schools, PTAs, anti-bullying groups, law enforcement, MADD, SADD, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc. We will provide the 24hour/365 days per week texting hotline, posters, cards and other promotional material to create awareness to the students and community. Our Nonprofit School Safety Partners have existing relationships with the schools and will be the catalyst for reaching students and parents with the Text 2 Stop It! program. Simply put, we add our powerfully successful program to enhance the work nonprofits are already doing to improve safety in the schools. Seventy (70%) of funds collected from the 5K Run and Walk are distributed to these nonprofits while thirty (30%) remains with Text 2 Stop It! to manage the anonymous call/text center.
Corporate School Safety Partners – Corporations have the power to get things done. They also provide the financial and marketing resources critical to reaching the schools and students. We rely on the generosity of corporate sponsors and are grateful for each prospective sponsor's passion for our mission and their desire to help put an end to bullying, drugs, teen suicides and violence in our schools. We are looking for the support of corporations who have social responsibility as a part of their corporate goals and objectives.
We urge you to join our Nonprofit and Corporate School Safety Partners and show your support for safe schools. Together we will make our schools safe and save even more lives.
Alvin Butler Sr.
Executive Director
