As part of a continuous effort to foster a relationship with the next generation of baseball fans and help stop the epidemic of bullying in our country, the Minnesota Twins, one of several MLB Clubs supporting the Shred Hate bullying prevention program, welcomed MLB, ESPN and X Games as they hosted a school assembly at Target Field on Tuesday. The assemblys purpose was to encourage more than 200 students to continue helping to prevent bullying in their schools.
The students represented 5th-8th graders at Washington Tech, MN Excellence in Learning Academy, Jennings Community School, Eastern Heights Elementary. The positive and motivational atmosphere celebrated the kids and congratulated them in their progress so far while also sharing messages and tips on how they can continue to choose kindness throughout their schools.
The Twins’ center fielder, Byron Buxton, addressed the kids in attendance.
Chicago White Sox on Twitter
Take a stand against bullying with @TimAnderson7. Choose kindness & Shred Hate! @MLB x @ESPNCitizenship x @XGames https://t.co/20fF8eq0yb
They were joined by people such as Billy Bean, former MLB player, Vice President & Special Assistant to the MLB Commissioner; Three-sport X Games athlete, Paralympics Gold & Silver Medalist and St. Cloud native Mike Schultz; ESPN/X-Games Host & Reporter, Paralympic Gold Medalist & World Record Holder and Dancing With The Stars semi-finalist Victoria Arlen and Erik Stangvik, the Vice President of Strategy & Development for No Bully.
Via www.nobully.org/shred-hate:
“Shred Hate is a bullying prevention program created by ESPN, supported by Major League Baseball and X Games, that seeks to eliminate bullying by encouraging kids to choose kindness.
As part of the program, No Bully is partnering with local school districts and participating schools and training them how to implement the No Bully System. ESPN and the X Games launched the Shred Hate initiative in January 2017 at X Games Aspen, Colorado, bringing the No Bully System to five schools across the state.
Chris LaPlaca on Twitter
Shred Hate: ESPN & @XGames athletes join to fight bullying. #SportsDoingGood https://t.co/UP2ra3JDZP via @ESPNFrontRow
In August 2017, Major League Baseball joined the cause to launch Shred Hate in Chicago, home of the Cubs and White Sox, and Washington D.C., home of the Nationals, as well as expand programming in Minneapolis, home of the Twins and 2018 Summer X Games. Along with its support in these markets, X Games will also continue to support the Colorado market and the program will roll out in additional MLB markets in subsequent years.
The ultimate goal of Shred Hate is to cause a tangible reduction of bullying incidents in schools by igniting the compassion of youth. With 10 million students bullied each year in the U.S., the need and timing for the program is critical.
There are six Shred Hate Schools in the Twin Cities area that have adopted the Shred Hate curriculum, created and implemented by No Bully, which has proven to dramatically reduce incidents of bullying in schools.
Bryan Donaldson on Twitter
Great day at the ballpark today to help stop bullying. Thanks to the students, teachers, @espn @mlb @nobully_org @monstermike5 @arlenv1 and of course @officialbuck103 At Shred Hate event, Buxton takes a stand https://t.co/qEBX76QNCr via @MLB
Later that evening, the Twins treated 1,000 students and chaperones from the six schools to a live viewing of Minnesotas 4-2 win over the Detroit Tigers at Target Field. It was the first MLB game that most of the kids had attended and if its up to Twins center fielder Buxton, bullying has no place in this world and will be eliminated and he is leading the charge to end it. As a kid, he says he intervened in a bullying attempt and to this day he is best friends with the victim.
Buxton talks Shred Hate program
Twins outfielder Byron Buxton talks about the Shred Hate bullying prevention program and how important it is
