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January 17, 2014 By admin Leave a Comment

STARS & Predators Launch Bullying Prevention Campaign

With the goal of changing the world one friend at a time, Nashville Predators Player Colin Wilson joined Students Taking A Right Stand (STARS) today in launching a proactive bullying prevention effort created by two middle school students called Bee A Friend Campaign.

STARS launched their bullying prevention campaign “Bee A Friend” with NewsChannel 5’s Lelan Statom & Aundrea Cline-Thomas, Sportscaster Willy Daunic, WKRN’s Dawn Davenport, STARS Student Lauren Jernigan, Nashville Predators Colin Wilson and STARS Rodger Dinwiddie.

Proclaimed Bee A Friend Week by Governor Bill Haslam, STARS CEO Rodger Dinwiddie, also president of the International Bullying Prevention Association (IBPA), and Wilson shared the campaign plans of middle school students Lauren Jernigan and Laurelle Campbell to reduce and eliminate bullying.

“This is an exciting community call to action to spread compassion and promote empathy by reducing the sense of isolation young people feel when they are bullied,” Dinwiddie said. “Their idea was presented to Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi at our Mid-South PeaceJam Affiliate’s event last year at Belmont. This is the culmination of their vision.”

Dinwiddie said focusing on social and emotional learning fosters empathy, prevents bullying, promotes healthy relationships and enhances positive student conduct as well as academic outcomes.  Highly connected students, attending schools where empathy flourishes, are less likely to be perpetrators or victims of aggression and the Bee A Friend Campaign perfectly supports these important findings.

The Bee A Friend Campaign challenges the community to reach out and be a friend to someone new for at least a year with hopes of lifetime results. The STARS website and Facebook page outline the membership in partnership with Bee Attitudes, a Nashville-based positive attitude marketing initiative.

Wilson, who participated in a 2011 bullying prevention campaign, unveiled his public service announcement featuring STARS’ Kids On The Block puppet, Mark Reilly, who has cerebral palsy and doesn’t let it slow him down in helping kids understand differences of all kinds. Wilson’s PSA airs Saturday, January 18, at the Nashville Predators versus Colorado Avalanche game where the first 1,000 people get a Bee A Friend Campaign poster featuring Wilson and Reilly.  Wilson also shares his commitment in a column for the Tennessean on January 19.

NewsChannel 5’s Lelan Statom, who was also part of the 2011 campaign, announced plans for a second PSA in which WRKN’s Dawn Davenport, Neil Orne and Justin Bruce as well as WSMV’s Kacy Hagerty,  NewsChannel 5’s Aundrea Cline-Thomas, 102.5 The Game’s Willy Daunic and Great American Country’s Stacy McCloud will appear. Other notable area Nashvillians are also being invited to participate in the PSA to be produced by cinematographer Armanda Costanza.

Middle school students Jernigan and Campbell challenged schools and community groups to launch their own initiatives with a party for the winning idea. “Send a short two to five minute video to STARS website or Facebook page so your idea can inspire others to adopt their own Bee A Friend campaign.  The winning idea will receive a Hunt Brothers Pizza and dessert party,” Jernigan said.

During Bee A Friend Week, on Thursday, January 23, California Pizza Kitchen at 4031 Hillsboro Pike #901, Nashville, TN (37215) is donating a portion of their sales that day to support the STARS Bee A Friend Campaign.

A nationally recognized and evidenced-based resource for student assistance, training and professional consultation, STARS assists students, families and schools with prevention, intervention and treatment services addressing bullying, substance abuse, violence, and social and emotional barriers to success. Founded in 1984 and lead by CEO Rodger Dinwiddie, current president of the International Bullying Prevention Association (IBPA), STARS staff operate in schools and community sites throughout Middle Tennessee via STARS Specialists, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services as well as through Youth Overcoming Drug Abuse (YODA) as a licensed alcohol and drug out-patience treatment facility. Their Kids On The Block puppetry program helps educate kindergarten through sixth grade students about health and social concerns that affect their lives while promoting an understanding and acceptance of all children and adults regardless of their differences.

Filed Under: What's Happening Now Tagged With: bullying prevention, Colin Wilson, Lelan Statom, Nashville Predators, STARS

January 14, 2014 By Erin Daunic Leave a Comment

Come out on January 18th to support STARS and the beloved Nashville Predators!!

Nashville Predators Forward, #33, Colin Wilson, with STARS’ very own, Mark Riley.

Our good friends at the Nashville Predators have partnered with STARS (as well our friends at BeeAttitudes) to create a Public Service Announcement which will be debuted at the Predators v. Avalanche game on Saturday, January 18th at Bridgestone arena.

To help us celebrate, the Preds have created a link from which to purchase tickets with a percentage of your ticket price coming back to STARS!

Please be there with us as we debut our PSA!!  And, the first 1,000 attendees will get a BEE A FRIEND poster featuring #33 Colin Wilson and our very own, Mark Riley (Kids on the Block puppet).

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS!!

ROCK ON!  GO PREDS!!
See you at the rink on Saturday!!

Filed Under: What's Happening Now Tagged With: bee a friend, beeattitudes;, bullying prevention, kids on the block, Nashville Predators

November 8, 2013 By admin Leave a Comment

STARS Supports Vince Gill & Predators Nashville’s Top Philanthropists

Vince Gill and the Nashville Predators Foundation, key STARS supporters, were celebrated on National Philanthropy Day by the Nashville Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals for their profound impact on the work of non-profit organizations.

A famous Gill lyric was quoted in the presentation of the award, 2013 Philanthropist of the Year, “no matter what you make, all you can take is what you giveaway.” In response, Gill joked he used to be a non-profit. Touched by the honor, Gill said quite simply,” love our own. Try to be kind….it just makes sense to help people.”

Vince Gill, STARS, Nashville, TN

Several STARS staffers and board members were on hand to lend their own support to Vince and the Predators for their consistent and amazing support of STARS.

Supporting Vince Gill & the Predators Foundation, STARS benefit art chair Ron York, VP of Development Erin Daunic, STARS board members Sperry Stadler and Doug Smith, STARS COO Teresa Whitaker
Supporting Vince Gill & the Predators Foundation, STARS benefit art chair Ron York, Chief Development Officer Erin Daunic, STARS incoming board chair, Sperry Stadler, and current board chair, Doug Smith, with STARS COO Teresa Whitaker

The Nashville Predators Foundation has supported STARS bullying prevention efforts and educational programs through Kids On The Block.  Along with this, STARS has provided bullying prevention training to the Nashville Jr. Predators’ young athletes and families and partnered with Predators’ player Colin Wilson on a recent Tennessean column.

STARS supporting the Predators Foundation as Nashville's Corporate Philanthropist of the Year!
STARS supporting the Predators Foundation as Nashville’s Corporate Philanthropist of the Year!
STARS supports Vince Gill as Nashville's Philanthropist of the Year, here with Erin Daunic and son, Vince and Ron York, upcoming benefit art chair.
STARS supports Vince Gill as Nashville’s Philanthropist of the Year, here with STARS Chief Development Officer Erin Daunic and son, Mahoney, Vince and Ron York, upcoming benefit art chair.

For the past five years, Gill has partnered with STARS on Chair-ish the Night With Vince Gill & Friends. On November 22, a magical night of music and art returns to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum for Gill’s surprise lineup of guests which previously included Sheryl Crowe, Alison Krauss, Dierks Bentley, Keb’ Mo’ and Amy Grant. The benefit helps Students Taking A Right Stand (STARS) assist mid-state youth, families and schools with tough social and emotional barriers to learning.

With a surprise line-up, Vince Gill in 2012 brought songwriter Natalie Hemby, Sheryl Crowe & Keb' Mo' for his annual benefit for STARS. (Photo by Peyton Hoge)
With a surprise line-up, Vince Gill in 2012 brought songwriter Natalie Hemby, Sheryl Crowe & Keb’ Mo’ for his annual benefit for STARS. (Photo by Peyton Hoge)

The evening begins with an art auction and cocktail reception at 6:00 p.m. Visit STARS Facebook page for a preview of the beautiful art available for purchase.

The concert is at 8:30 p.m. with limited seating, exclusive patron tickets are available for $275.00 which includes premium concert seating and a post-concert meet and greet with Vince Gill.  Individual
tickets are $175.00 and tickets for only the art auction and cocktail reception are $75.   For more information, contact STARS at 615-983-6805 or events@starsnashville.org.

Founded in 1960, AFP (formerly the National Society of Fund Raising Executives) advances philanthropy through its more than 30,388 members in 198 chapters throughout the world.

AFP believes that to guarantee human freedom and social creativity, people must have the right to freely and voluntarily form organizations to meet perceived needs, advocate causes, and seek funds to support these activities.

Filed Under: What's Happening Now Tagged With: Chair-ish The Night With Vince Gill, Nashville Philanthropists, Nashville Predators, National Philanthropy Day, Philanthropy, Predators Foundation, Vince Gill, Vince Gill Benefit Concert

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STARS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, culture, religion or creed, socioeconomic status, language, age, sexual orientation, or national origin. No one shall be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any of STARS’ programs or activities. STARS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

This agency is funded, in part, by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, the Tennessee Department of Education and by the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth. This project is funded under a grant contract with the State of Tennessee.
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