‘Kind is cool': NJ 3rd-grader hopes to raise bullying awareness
HOWELL — It's amazing what can come from the mind of an 8-year-old.
Third-grader Faith Woods, who was deeply saddened after learning about the potential devastating effects of bullying, has launched a local effort to promote kindness and raise funds for the anti-bullying cause.
"I didn't know it could affect somebody this bad, so I want to do something about," the Ramtown School student said.
Faith came upon a trailer for a documentary that tells the story behind the suicide of 12-year-old Mallory Grossman, a girl from Rockaway who took her own life in June 2017 following nine months of horrific bullying in and out of school.
"I felt very upset about it. I actually cried," Faith said.
So after a conversation with her parents, Faith decided to design a blue T-shirt that encourages students to be kind to one another. With the help of faculty at her former school — Faith started this push before the new school year began — and an aunt who has the ability to create shirts, Faith is selling t-shirts to kids and adults in the community who'd like to share the message.
"The shirt says 'kind is cool,' because, well, it is," Faith said. "Everybody should be kind to each other because I think that's one of the best ways to make friends and have a peaceful world."
The profits from each order will be donated to a charity devoted to bullying awareness, her parents said.
"We're very proud of her," said Tim Woods, Faith's father. "Most kids her age — you don't think they think like that ... but for her it just comes natural."
As part of the township schools' Respect Week, Faith is asking that people wear their shirts on October 11th. That's Blue Shirt Day in school. Blue is also the color used by the nonprofit Mallory's Army Foundation, created in the 12-year-old's memory to fight against bullying.
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