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Community April 3, 2014

Argonauts To Bring Bullying Prevention Message To School That Helped Inspire Award Winning Huddle Up Program

ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF

TORONTO – The Toronto Argonauts Football Club is bringing its award winning Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program, presented by Tim Hortons, to Runnymede Collegiate Institute for the first time on Tuesday, April 8. It was in the halls of Runnymede where, more than 30 years ago, program founder Jason Colero was the target of bullying and was saved by a former football player and teammate in a life-altering moment. That sequence laid the groundwork for today’s celebrated and impactful program.

Argos In The Community

Toronto Argonauts

-> Tim Horton’s Huddle Up

-> Level The Playing Field

–> Argo-Cise

-> Argos Support “Pink Shirt Day”

-> White Ribbon & Huddle Up & Make The Call

Today, Colero is the Toronto Argonauts’ Director of Education & Community Programs. He launched the team’s Huddle Up program in 2001 and has shared his story with more than 500,000 GTA youth, but never before at his old high school. During Tuesday’s school-wide assembly, Colero will welcome his former Runnymede football teammate, Mark Natalizio – who saved him from bullying and inspired his journey – where they will reunite and stand up together against the act of bullying.

This announcement comes several months after the Argonauts’ Level the Playing Field Program, presented by Tim Hortons, returned the sport of football to Runnymede C.I. The team’s once proud football program folded three decades ago and has now, with the help of the Argonauts, been re-established as the Runnymede Ravens for the students and community. The Ravens finished the 2013 season with an undefeated record and won the Argos Bowl Championship for the TDSB’s Varsity Development League.

Huddle Up works to promote bullying prevention through the personal stories of Toronto Argonauts football players, cheerleaders and program staff. In 2014, the Huddle Up program will again reach more than 35,000 students, and 700 of their parents, with an important message that was developed in conjunction with the Canadian Safe School Network. In 2009, the Huddle Up program became recognized on the Ministry of Education’s Registry of Bullying Prevention Programs.  The Argonauts are the only Canadian sports team to have a program registered.