921 Miles. 921 Lives. 921 Ribbons.
CLICK HERE to dedicate your ribbon today!
Friend Movement, in collaboration with The Tyler Clementi Foundation, GLSEN, and GLAAD have partnered to shift the conversation in our communities from anti-bullying to “pro-friendship”.
On October 5th, 2013 the co-founders of Friend Movement, Elliot London and Ronnie Kroell, will embark upon a 921 mile and 37 day journey across the country. Starting in Chicago and commencing in NYC with a candlelight vigil on November 10th, 2013. A journey to celebrate friendship that was inspired by and is dedicated to, Tyler Clementi.
For those of you who may not know, Tyler was a student of Rutgers University in New Jersey. Unfortunately, after experiencing a terrible cyber-bullying attack, he took his life (now, three years ago) by jumping from The George Washington Bridge. Instead of viewing this anniversary as a sad occasion, we want to celebrate his life and the lives of numerous others we have lost as a result of bullying.
It is important to FM and our partners to be on the ground, meeting with the community. We believe that the best way to reduce bullying and promote friendship is to share our stories, educate one another, and take fear out of the equation. This is no easy task, but we are confident that the first step must begin with AWARENESS. Things will get better, but only if we decide as a community to take the necessary ACTIONS that will lead to answers.
With your support, we will have the eyes and ears of the United States and the world for over a month. With that attention comes the opportunity, and the responsibility, to leverage the press and steer the conversation in the direction of discovering positive solutions. By contributing to this campaign, YOU are MAKING A DIFFERENCE! Together we will stand-up for those that are living in fear, feeling alone, and may simply need a friend.
What We Need & What You Get
Our goal is to reach $19,420 to help produce Friend Movement Walk, but to see a complete budget overview please see our photo gallery.
The funds raised will be used to cover the costs of insurance, travel, promotions, and the logistics of both a kick-off celebration in Chicago and a candlelight vigil in NYC. In addition, we will be making stops at schools and community centers along our route to speak about bullying and friendship. We plan to produce and publish a video online each day that will update you of our progress and help you to actively participate.
Any funds raised beyond our goal will be allocated to The Tyler Clementi Foundation & Friend Movement to further their respective program development.
When you donate $20 to help bring Friend Movement Walk to life, you will receive:
- Friend Movement Watch (insert photo of watch and ribbon here)
- Postage paid envelope with a Purple Ribbon enclosed.
We welcome you to dedicate your ribbon to a friend or family member and send it to us in NYC where we will *display everyone’s ribbon for the candlelight vigil on November 10th, 2013.
In addition, we will keep you up to date on our whereabouts along the route with daily posts, videos, and photos! We want you to be with us every step of the way!!
*Please note that we will need to receive your personalized ribbon on or before November 9th for it to be displayed.
The Impact
Your DEDICATION and DONATIONS to this campaign will make a huge impact on the lives of those that we will encounter along this journey and beyond. Not only will we be celebrating the memory of those that we have lost too soon, but we will be saving lives by sharing our stories. Education is key.
Bullying does not discriminate, it effects people of all shapes and sizes. Even those doing the bullying have their own baggage to carry and can benefit from a community that is willing to show them love and friendship. The opposite of bullying is friendship, therefore by promoting friendship we can defuse and prevent bullying. It begins with self-confidence and self-love. By being our own best friend we can then be a good friend to others around us.
This walk is meant to inspire, enlighten, and help build confidence in youth and adults alike. We all have something to gain by being a better friend to ourselves and to others around us.
CLICK HERE to dedicate your ribbon today!!
Other Ways You Can Help
- Share our campaign with your friends, family, and co-workers.
- “Like” us on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/friendmovement
- Follow us on Twitter, http://www.twitter.com/friendmovement
- Change your “middle name” on Facebook & Twitter to “FRIEND” to show your support.
Friend Movement was created to help show positive anti-bully images through art and media. Images of people of all ages, race, gender, sexuality, and spirituality that invoke inspiration & conversation. Friend movement inspires people to prevent bullying by enabling them to be a better friend.