Say “No” to Bullying with Gina Rodriguez and CustomInk
This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.
Did you know that October is National Bullying Month? To recognize National Bullying Month, CustomInk is celebrating it’s launch of the annual Be Good to Each Other bullying prevention campaign. This month, CustomInk is partnering with Gina Rodriguez, the star of “Jane the Virgin” and 11 other top celebrities and athletes.
CustomInk, the leading provider of custom apparel and accessories for groups and occasions, recently launched its 5th annual Be Good to Each Other campaign in support of National Bullying Prevention Month and its signature event Unity Day, which takes place on October 21st . Together with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, the Be Good to Each Other campaign aims to unite students and adults in an effort to take a stand against bullying and promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion within their communities. CustomInk has again partnered with a roster of talented individuals from across the media and entertainment industry – TV, music, movies, and sports – to support the campaign by designing their own custom bullying prevention t-shirts.
“At CustomInk, we believe that every person deserves to be treated with respect, kindness, and compassion, and we exhibit that sentiment through our own Core Values,” said Wendy Connell, vice president of marketing at CustomInk. “For our fifth annual Be Good to Each Other campaign, we are proud to continue our partnership with PACER as we instill that important message among students, school groups, and communities through the unifying power of the t-shirt.”
Over the past five years, CustomInk has donated nearly $120,000 towards bullying prevention efforts and sold tens of thousands of shirts for the cause. The power of t-shirts goes beyond the funds raised, as people continue to wear the shirts they’ve purchased and spread the word that bullying is unacceptable. Gina Rodriguez will help the Be Good to Each Other campaign kick off its 2015 efforts along with 11 other celebrities. Each celebrity supporter has created his or her own bullying prevention t-shirt that will be on sale for the duration of the campaign.
“I’m so excited to work with CustomInk on this year’s Be Good to Each Other campaign. No one is immune to the risks of bullying and the only way to prevent it, is to promote kindness and inclusion in our daily lives,” say Gina Rodriguez, star of Jane the Virgin. “My parents always taught me the power of thinking positively and treating others with respect, and I hope that through this campaign we are able to continue the spread of that message to the younger generations.”
“Founded in 2006, National Bullying Prevention Month and Unity Day were both created to help raise awareness of the devastating effects of bullying and to inspire support of bullying prevention activities among youth,” said Julie Hertzog, director of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. “We are excited at the opportunity to partner with CustomInk again to further fulfill our mission of bullying prevention awareness and are grateful for the celebrity partners who have stepped forward to support the campaign.”
What is Be Good to Each Other?
The Be Good to Each Other campaign aims to unite students and adults in an effort to take a stand against bullying and promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion within their communities. This year, CustomInk partnered with 12 celebrities and athletes who designed t-shirts that will be sold for $20 each. 100% of the profits from the sales of bullying prevention t-shirts will benefit PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in its effort to engage, educate, and unite communities nationwide.
Which Celebrities are Supporting the Campaign?
Notable celebrities and athletes include: Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin), Rachel Platten (Singer), Gracie Gold (Olympic Figure Skater), Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory), Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder (World Heavyweight Champion), Wesam Keesh (MTV’s Awkward), Quincy Davis (Professional Surfer), Alyson Stoner (Cheaper by the Dozen), Miles Heizer (Parenthood), Addison Riecke (The Thundermans), Aija Mayrock (The Survival Guide to Bullying), and Paola Andino (Every Witch Way)
How Does CustomInk Help?
- Celebrity t-shirts are available for purchase at www.customink.com/stopbullying.
- Designing your own custom bullying prevention t-shirts
- Ordering PACER’s Official 2015 Unity Day t-shirt
Interviewing Gina Rodriguez
As a part of this campaign with CustomInk, I had the opportunity to ask Gina Rodriguez a few personal questions regarding bullying. Here’s what I asked and what she had to say.
How did bullying affect you as an adult and a child?
“I recently received negative comments on social media for an Instagram post and it really surprised me that I could be judged for something so small. I grew up with Spanish being my second language – my parents didn’t want me to be teased for having an accent the way they had been. I didn’t realize I’d be criticized for not speaking well enough in Spanish.”
What advice would you give to those who are being bullied now?
“I would tell them to walk away. By leaving the situation, you’re taking control away from the bully. The bully’s goal is to get a reaction out of you and by ignoring them; you’re asserting your control.
I would also let them know that it’s not their fault and encourage them to seek support from friends and family. I think it’s helpful for someone who is experiencing bullying to talk about the issue with their loved ones. I always turn to my family whenever I’m having a rough day – knowing that they’re always there for me no matter what happens is comforting.”
Be sure to check out CustomInk and order a celebrity shirt today!
Were you affected by bullying as an adult or child? How did it affect you?
What advice would you give to those who are being bullied now?
This is an awesome campaign. My kids school is doing a bunch of activities and wearing orange on certain days in support of bullying prevention.
I really wish more was spoken about in schools to stop or prevent bullying taking place. As a teacher myself we hardly ever broached it and it was just so apparent children were unhappy :/
That’s such a great idea. Bullying has become monstrous in this country.
Such a great message. I love that T shirt. Bullying is such a problem now.
I love the wording on that t-shirt. What an awesome campaign! I didn’t know anyone who was bullied back in the day when I was in school, but it sure has become a horrible issue in the last decade or two. Kudos to CustomInk for their donations and for getting the word out that bullying has to stop. Well done!
I love that they are bringing awareness to bullying. Such an awesome message!!
It’s so important to encourage our kids to be kind and considerate of others’ feelings! I love that shirt – perfect message!
What a wonderful campaign. My daughter had a bully last year and as a mom it was so difficult watching her go through it.
I had no idea October was national bully month. CustomInk has definitely created an amazing campaign I will fully stand behind.
I wasn’t aware that October was National Bully month. This sounds like a great campaign.
This is a great cause! With the anonymity of the internet, bullying is becoming more prevalent and especially online. I’m so glad CustomInk is doing something about it!
great campaign! My daughters are home schooled so they are not exposed to this (yet), but they did attend preschool and I saw little bullies there – I was so shocked
This is such a great and important campaign. I know the schools in our areas are doing a lot to support this as well.
This is an awesome message. It’s great that so many people have stepped up to put a stop to bullying.
I think Gina Rodriquez is such a positive role model! I am so happy she is involved in this campaign.
It’s sad that bullying has become such a problem in our society that we have to have a whole month dedicated to the prevention of it. I love the shirt and will be ordering for my pre-teen.
What a great message. Bullying is a conversation we need to be having more often. The effects on the lives of those being bullied is too great for it to be endured.
I love this campaign! It’s scary to think how rapidly the bullying issue is growing. If we can raise more awareness and encourage kindness, I have hopes it won’t be such an issue in the future.
I would love one of the CustomInk shirts to wear during October and all throughout the year. It needs to be something we talk about!
That shirt is awesome and so is this campaign! Luckily I was never bullied but it’s such a scary and sad concept that everyone should be aware of and doing something about. Spreading awareness like this is so important!
xo Adriana – Daily Dose of Design
CustomInk sounds like a great company. I love supporting businesses that give back. I will have to check them out.
So important. Bullying is a HUGE problem that I think is often overlooked, or pushed under the rug. It’s affected our family, and I don’t put up with it at all. This is great.
It’s sad that bullying is still an issue. I didn’t know about the anti bullying month, so thanks for telling me. I’ll be sure to spread the word.
What a great shirt. I love when companies help spread such important messages.
My daughter stuck up for someone else the first day of school a couple of years ago. The gal she stood up to bullied her the rest of the school year despite our best efforts to the contrary. It was not a fun year at all.
A great campaign. Love those shirts… I think I will order one for our girls.
What a great opportunity! My oldest child was bullied in middle school. Thankfully the school put a stop to it immediately.
I was not affected too much. There were bullies but thigs were different then because we were allowed to stand up to the bullies and would not get in trouble for defending ourselves. Now even the victims get in trouble for defending themselves. So unfair.
My child and a friend’s child are about a week apart in age, and both were scheduled to go to kindergarten this year. I chose not to send mine because we live in the same school district I attended 25 years ago, and I remember a lot of bullying then. The friend’s child is bullied daily. In Kindergarten. I’m glad I didn’t send mine there, but how sad is it that it’s going on at the kindergarten level?
I LOVE that shirt. I was a victim of bullying as a kid but it was simpler then. It was easier to get away. These days kids are so connected, especially online, the bullying can feel inescapable.