JASON COLERO – DIRECTOR, COMMUNITY & EDUCATION PROGRAMS
TORONTO – Heading into my 30th season with the Toronto Argonauts, and the 13th year of our award winning Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program, presented by Tim Hortons, I knew this year would have an assembly with personal significance. For the first time my old high school, Runnymede Collegiate Institute, would host a Huddle Up assembly. I knew leading to this day it would have to be a little different than others, and I figured out just how to do that.
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Argos In The Community |
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VIDEO: Full Circle, Colero Brings Huddle Up to Place That Inspired It All |
Two years ago, after one of our presentations, someone had asked me if I had ever talked to Mark – the bystander in my story who was a leader on my high school football team and changed my life just by being my friend. I hadn’t even thought about it and didn’t know how to get in touch with him. The magic of social media, however, enables anyone to get connected with old acquaintances. And this would be one time that I would utilize it. I found Mark online and managed to link connections to his occupation, which led to his phone number. After building enough courage to call him I was extremely surprised by his reaction. I didn’t think he would remember anything about me. Not only did he remember me, but he remembered the incident when he stood up for me. It was at that point that I told him what he had done for me and how it sparked the idea for Huddle Up. I still don’t think he was completely certain of the impact he’d had.
Fast forward to March 2014. I looked at the upcoming assemblies and saw April 8 was the date we would return to Runnymede C.I. with our message of bullying prevention. I had texted Mark a number of times but we had yet to meet face to face since seeing him back in high school. This assembly would be the perfect place. I contacted him just to see if he was available to join our presentation, and his answer was an enthusiastic yes!
I will admit that leading into April 8th I was rather anxious knowing that I would be sharing my story, at my old high school, with the man who changed my life there to witness. Everyone told me not to be nervous; it was like any other Huddle Up. I couldn’t help but think that 30 years since the incident – that has now influenced the lives of hundreds of thousands of youth – Mark would finally realize how he saved me from a fate which some people can never recover.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014 arrived and, as I set up for an assembly as I usually would, Christine, the coordinator of our program, Mark, a friend and his family came around the corner. It felt just like 1984 when I saw him. He had a smile on his face that captured how happy we both were in the moment. He was with his wife who was his high school sweetheart. It was a reunion, of sorts, but he told me that we would catch up later and that he would sit down and let me get back to work.
At the assembly, it was almost as though the past and present Huddle Up were represented. 2004 Grey Cup champion Chuck Winters, and current offensive lineman Tyler Holmes were both in the gym. They were both outstanding at captivating the students. Not only was Mark in the crowd but so were members of the Argonauts’ community department as well as Tim Hortons store owners. As soon as I got up, all of the nerves were gone and I just had to try to keep it together – at least until the moment when I wanted to thank Mark. On behalf of the entire organization, I presented him with his very own personalized Argonauts jersey with his high school number.
The day was overwhelming. It was only now that Mark finally realized what he’d done and how it had impacted so many. As Chuck later put it, “It’s great to meet the guy who gave Jason a chance to do this program.”
Mark’s actions back in high school may have seemed small then, but now those actions have positively affected more than 500,000 youth across the GTA. I only hope that one of those youth will remember what Mark did for me and that will empower them to stand up and save some else.
I’d love to hear from any of you who have done something positive after the Huddle Up program visited your school. Please contact me at community.relations@argonauts.ca
Make your passion your life and no one can take that away.
Jason