Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer LeRoy Butler is taking a grass roots approach in his "Be a Buddy not a Bully" campaign against bullying. His campaign is striving to bring professionals, teachers, parents and families together to discuss, in an open microphone format, the social problems that derive from bullying in communities, churches and schools today.
Butler will be making an appearance at Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday and will be signing autographs and taking pictures to raise money for this foundation.
There is no fee, but donations are welcomed and suggested, beginning at $5. Butler will have 8x10 photos, cookbooks and Lambeau Leap canvases available as well.
In the last six months, Butler has traveled to schools and churches throughout Wisconsin to sit down with people who are recipients of bullying tactics and those that have performed behaviors of a bullying nature.
His approach has been to bring awareness to the problem, to have an open environment for these individuals to face each other in a non-confrontational environment and to find resolution that is positive moving forward. His success in this approach has led him to want to work with other organizations, schools, churches and professionals to bring a more global awareness to this social problem.
The "Be a Buddy not a Bully" campaign would like to reach over 20 schools their first year and interview over 100 students while striving to reach 500 students within three years.
Butler’s approach is to meet with the students, faculty, parents and community in a "game show" atmosphere that allows the students to have a voice and figure out this growing social problem. The campaign will develop a $5,000.00 scholarship fund for each school that is chosen to participate. Butler also hopes this will help the parents, professionals and the faculty expose those students or community members, more promptly, who suffer in silence through depression, self mutilation or harming of one self, and through non-verbal bullying.
The approach allows the kids to learn to be leaders and not followers.
"This problem cannot be ignored any longer and it is our goal to provide a place for these kids to feel free to open up about the problem and be a leader in helping us solve this issue," Butler said.
Butler is working with various organizations, companies and individuals to raise money to film a documentary on the effects of this social problem in our communities, society and families. Butler has funded a portion of the money needed and is working diligently to raise nearly $300,000 to complete the documentary.
If you or your company would like to contribute to the "Be a Buddy not a Bully" campaign please go to leroybutlerinc.com for more information on the Kick Starter website or to inquire more information.
