Randy Chevrier recaps BE BRAVE
It’s not easy to silence over 8,000 students when they’ve been screaming for 20 solid minutes during a hockey game.
However, that’s exactly what happened when a 6’1 football player walked out onto the ice during Wednesday’s first intermission of the BE BRAVE – Anti-Bullying Game powered by TELUS.
Randy Chevrier, a three-time Grey Cup Champion, addressed a rapt crowd with a message he’s been spreading across the country with the Dare to Care anti-bullying program.
“We run a number of programs from elementary programs to junior high programs geared towards teaching kids the difference between normal peer conflict and bullying and then putting them in a situation where they think and they begin to empathize with others,” said Chevrier after the game.
The game brought together students from over 60 different schools and focused on the importance of acceptance and bullying prevention. Concourse displays, in-game activities and guest speakers like Chevrier ensured that the messages were heard.
“8,000 kids could have the potential to effect all kids in Calgary and it’s sort of that snowball effect you kind of hope for,” said Chevrier. “The fact that the Hitmen and TELUS and all the other partners got together to put this game on, it was just a great celebration of something that’s taking place across Canada, except we brought it to a different level.”
“I think not only was this a great, much needed event in Calgary but also for these schools that pick up the flag of anti-bullying and say we don’t tolerate it in our schools, it was neat for them to see that there’s other schools that believe it.”
The rally against bullying was amplified by the Hitmen’s defeat of the Brandon Wheat Kings in a 4-3 shootout win.
While the win was memorable, the experience for Calgary kids was invaluable.
“I think it’s important to get the message to these kids that you’re not alone,” added Chevrier. “I think seeing this today, there were probably a ton of kids in this crowd that felt reassured that there were other kids that felt as strongly about this message.”
