ASHLAND, Pa. — From the youngest students to the oldest, bullying is an issue many want to address.
"A lot of people get bullied in our school, and I don't like that," said Keira Blozousky, a fifth-grader in the North Schuylkill School District. "We need a change."
"You should treat people how you want to be treated," added first-grader Charlotte Reese.
"Mental health is a really big issue, and bullying can cause a lot of mental health problems," said Faith Groody, a senior at North Schuylkill. "We really want to prevent that here at North Schuylkill to make sure that everybody has a caring environment and that they feel safe here."
Kids in the North Schuylkill School District and across the county are standing up to bullying. Friday night's game at North Schuylkill is the first in a series of white-out games to raise awareness, and it's something to cheer about.
"All of the 12 county schools, they chose which home game in October to coincide with Bullying Prevention Month," said Annie Milewski, Schuylkill Intermediate Unit director of curriculum. "They're hosting, having one of their home games being their bullying prevention, their white-out night."
Students will be decked out in custom "Be Kind" shirts, encouraging everyone in the county to spread love.
"We know bullying happens everywhere in the community," said Stacey Minahan, Schuylkill Technology Center's assistant director. "The goal for this whole project is to try to get as many community members as we can, the information they need to prevent bullying, to help stop it, and to make Schuylkill County the best place we can for students to live."
It's also to let students know there's always someone to turn to.
"If they need to talk, they can talk about it with the school guidance counselor or teachers or parents," Blozousky said.
Win or lose, students want fans to remember that "The Skook" stands up to bullying.
Upcoming "White Out Bullying" Games
Oct. 1: at North Schuylkill
Oct. 8: at Minersville; at Mahanoy Area
Oct. 9: at Marian Catholic
Oct. 15: at Schuylkill Haven; at Williams Valley
Oct. 22: at Pine Grove
Oct. 29: at Pottsville