SUNBURY — A Valley organization is standing up and speaking out against bullying. The Northumberland County Youth Leadership Group is observing Unity Day on Wednesday, October 19. Members of the group are inviting people to come together against bullying and focus on kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
Carolyn Richardson, co-advisor, says the students decided to organize this event, “Our youth group is completely youth driven. They decide what volunteer opportunities they want to be a part of as well as events and more. When our group discovered that Unity Day is a national day of observance to bring awareness to bullying, they decided they wanted to take this on as a project.”
Richardson says Tammy Simpson will speak at Unity Day, “We have a guest speaker, Tammy Simpson, who some people may know is the mother of the late Brandon Bitner. He was a young boy who had experienced consistent bullying over a period of time and just couldn’t take it anymore and unfortunately, ended his life.”
Christian Lucas, a high school junior, says the students are using Unity Day to share their stories, “What we’re doing is really putting our stories out there, saying how it affected us and what we’re doing to cope with it.”
Unity Day will take place at Cameron Park in Sunbury on Wednesday, October 19 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Individuals attending are encouraged to wear orange to show your support for those who are bullied. For more details on the event call the Parent to Parent Connections office at 570-286-2997. Carolyn Richardson and representatives of the Northumberland County Youth Leadership Group were recent guests on WKOK Sunrise. You can listen to their full interview online at www.wkok.com.
