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Forest City Students Hold Parade Of Kindness

FOREST CITY — It was quite a scene in one Susquehanna County community on Tuesday as hundreds of students paraded through town with a simple message of ki...

FOREST CITY -- It was quite a scene in one Susquehanna County community on Tuesday as hundreds of students paraded through town with a simple message of kindness.

It was part of a campaign at that school and others in the area to combat bullying and spread compassion and we saw that theme on display for everyone to see.

The Forest City Regional High School band led the way as a sea of orange marched out of the school into the community.

The seventh through twelfth graders were on parade to mark Go Orange Day, a day meant to spread kindness and compassion.

"I think it's really cool and really interesting. It's great to see so many people get together," said Forest City student Alan Brucher.

This is all part of Rachel's Challenge, an ongoing program underway at Forest City Regional and schools in Wayne County.

Rachel's Challenge is in memory of Rachel Scott, a student killed in the Columbine High School massacre who wrote about wanting her legacy to be kindness.

"I'm going to be perfectly honest; I balled my eyes out when I saw the video they showed us last year. It was very emotional and it feels so good to know that we are supporting her and what she stood up for and believed in," said Forest City student Kayla Bebla.

This isn't just a one-day thing at Forest City. This is meant to send a message to the community that kindness rules every day at the school.

"We really leave out the whole clique idea and we just work together and it's really fun," Bebla said.

The cheerleaders helped the rest of the students make their presence known in downtown and they want it known that Forest City students really do their best to be kind to each other.

"It definitely spreads kindness and the overall sense of pride in our school and our dedication to each other," Brucher said.

This celebration of that is what organizers wanted everyone to see.

"I think it's wonderful. I don't like bullying. So I like doing something that makes a difference and helps it," said student organizer Kaitlyn Rulis.

"It is very important to us as school leaders and teachers that they learn that lesson and know it will change someone's life in the long run," said Forest City Principal Peter Jordan.

The Rachel's Challenge program at Forest City and schools in Wayne County is made possible in part by Wayne Memorial Hospital.

Each of the schools had their own way of marking Go Orange Day.

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