Argonauts.ca Staff
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TORONTO – On Wednesday, February 25 the Argos’ Flyin’ Hawaiian, Chad Owens, will make his in-school debut as a player ambassador for the team’s long-standing and award-winning Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program, presented by Tim Hortons. Owens’ first in-school assembly will take place at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School in Mississauga.The assembly will see him address the student body and help educate youth so that they can make positive choices and encourage student empowerment and engagement around bullying prevention.Owens will share impactful personal stories with high school-aged youth, and since the appearance lands on Pink Shirt Day he will sport a pink shirt to endorse an internationally recognized movement to demonstrate his support in the prevention of bullying in our schools, in our communities and online. Chad Owens is entering his sixth season in Double Blue. A highly decorated and influential player, he has been named 2012 CFL Most Outstanding Player, 2010 CFL Most Outstanding Special Teams Player, a five-time East Division All-Star and a four-time CFL All-Star during his career. Owens and his family moved to Toronto, from Hawaii, full-time in January. |
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ABOUT THE HUDDLE UP BULLYING PREVENTION PROGRAM, presented by TIM HORTONS The Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program uses the personal stories of Toronto Argonauts football players, staff and cheerleaders to encourage friendship and inclusion, and reduce or eradicate bullying. It is customized for each school to address the specific issues faced by each student body, ranging from physical and verbal intimidation, to cyber-bullying and even targeted female bullying prevention strategies. The focus is guided by the Huddle Up Student Committee at each of the more than 30 participating schools, made up of influential student leaders and students that have experience with bullying. These students are empowered to positively impact their school environment by enhancing awareness on the issue of bullying in their school community before, during and after the Toronto Argonauts’ presentation. The program also includes specially designed Parent-Teacher Information Sessions so that parents can learn more about bullying tactics and support their students in overall prevention. Over more than a decade, Huddle Up has reached in excess of 500,000 students across the G.T.A. ranging in age from 8-18. 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. ABOUT PINK SHIRT DAY Now in its seventh year, “Pink Shirt Day” is a North American-wide movement that works to mobilize students and adults to wear pink in a show of solidarity for bullying prevention efforts. Travis Price, then a grade 12 student in Nova Scotia, stood up for a grade 9 student who was targeted and bullied for wearing a pink t-shirt on his first day of school. Price and his classmate David Shepherd decided to purchase 50 pink shirts to wear to school the next day. When other classmates joined in, they realized that bullying only has power if no one stands up against it, and so a movement was born. Millions of people across the continent now take part in Pink Shirt Day annually. |