Let’s Shred Hate!

If you know something about snowboarding, you might be familiar with the term “shredding.” It’s used to refer to a snowboarder “tearing up the snow.” Since 2017, No Bully has partnered with ESPN, X Games and now MLB to stop bullying and inspire youth to choose kindness through the Shred Hate Campaign.

That’s exactly the message 350 Colorado students from seven schools heard when they were treated to a Kids’ Day at the Aspen X Games on January 25, 2018. The seven schools were recipients of an anti-bullying grant fully funded by ESPN that provided each with a one-year No Bully partnership. Many of the lucky 350 students were selected by their schools to attend via a lottery; others were rewarded for their stand against bullying or were chosen after writing essays on the hurt bullying causes.

Greeted on the slopes of Aspen’s Buttermilk Mountain, the students, who traveled up to six hours by school bus, were met by staff and presented with Shred Hate swag, including woolen hats and backpacks. From there, they were escorted through the venue to a slope-side pizza party.

After fueling up, the students were given free rein to explore the interactive booths that were set up adjacent to the slopes in celebration of the X Games. After an hour of fun mingling and playing alongside X Game greats, the students assembled at one of the many stages set up for the day. During the pep rally event, several X Games stars encouraged them to continue to Shred Hate by using the No Bully system in place at each of their schools. Many students were rewarded with additional X Game swag for their ability to dance and cheer loudly. Two students picked from the seven schools stood in front of the crowd and spoke from personal experience about the negative impact bullying can have. These students received the loudest applause of the day for their bravery and for encouraging others to Shred Hate.

After the assembly, the students were escorted to a viewing area in front of the Women’s Super-Pipe Competition. Everyone was amazed at the abilities of these female athletes as they flipped, twisted and flew down the slope. As the memorable day drew to a close, students and chaperones departed for their home schools at 6:30 p.m. still wearing their Shred Hate hats. These student shredders now feel a sense of mission to stop bullying whenever they see it at school or in their communities.

Real change can be achieved when we all come together to engage students in shredding hate.