‘Buzz Off, Bullies’
First-ever local event well-attended
The Inter-Mountain photos by Brad Johnson Remington Hedrick, 9, scoops up rings using a stick in his mouth as part of a game offered at the ‘Buzz Off Bullies’ event in the Elkins Railyard Depot. Hedrick’s grandmother Dana Arbogast, at right, and Olivia Cormier, at left, with Summit Church, cheer him on.
The Elkins Middle School band performs during the ‘Buzz Off Bullies’ event in downtown Elkins.
The Inter-Mountain photos by Brad Johnson Remington Hedrick, 9, scoops up rings using a stick in his mouth as part of a game offered at the ‘Buzz Off Bullies’ event in the Elkins Railyard Depot. Hedrick’s grandmother Dana Arbogast, at right, and Olivia Cormier, at left, with Summit Church, cheer him on.
The Elkins Middle School band performs during the ‘Buzz Off Bullies’ event in downtown Elkins.
Trending
ELKINS -- A special event to kick off a community wide campaign against bullying was attended by hundreds of people Tuesday evening.
The first-ever "Buzz Off Bullies" event, held at the Elkins Railyard Depot, offered activities including live music, food, prize drawings and a bonfire.
Elkins Middle School Counselor Connie Townsend, an organizer of the event, told The Inter-Mountain during the festivities that she was "thrilled" by the turnout.
"I'm so happy that people have come out and are having a great time," she said as she looked around the gathering. "This is turning into a great event for the community!"
The EMS band performed for the crowd, and attendees enjoyed hot dogs and other food and beverages available during the event.
The "Buzz Off Bullies" program is made available at EMS through a grant from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resource's Bureau for Behavioral Health. It is administered through Marshall University's Health Technical Assistance Center, School of Medicine.
Elkins Middle School is the first school in the community to pilot the program from OLEWUS, which is an evidence-based program developed by Swedish Norwegian psychologist Dan Olweus. Olweus Bullying Prevention in the United States is led by Clemson University in partnership with Hazelden Publishing.
The three main goals of the program are to reduce existing bullying problems among students, to prevent the development of new bullying problems, and to achieve better peer relations at school.
Other organizations who helped present the event included Engage, Project Isaac WVU, 4-H, Marshall University, Youth Health Service, the Elkins/Randolph County YMCA and a host of church youth groups.
For more information about the Buzz Off Bullies program, call Elkins Middle School at 304-636-9176 (ext. 412).