For Immediate Release: 12:01 a.m. EDT, Thursday, October 10, 2013 TEEN ARTISTS RISE UP AGAINST BULLYING Teen Nation Tour gearing up for national campaign in 2014 MARYLAND – A talented group of young recording artists are celebrating National Bullying Prevention Month by gearing up for a grassroots, anti-bullying campaign in 2014 called the Teen Nation Tour. Tour artists travel the country using music, games, and personal experiences to educate and entertain youth about the importance of rising up and taking a stand against bullying. “The Teen Nation Tour is such a powerful effort because the students hear directly from their peers about their personal experiences, said tour founder Lee Wilson, whose son was bullied, severely injured, and exploited on YouTube. “The kids really relate to the message and are very engaged with the performances.” The 2014 Teen Nation Tour will span 11 months and visit schools across the country. It will start in January in San Antonio, Texas and feature guest speaker U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Robert Britt III, who founded “Sara’s Smile” suicide prevention support group after losing his 16-year-old daughter to suicide in 2011 at the hands of bullying. Performances are free to schools. Headlining the 2014 Teen Nation Tour are Katie Steel, 15, of Westin, Florida; and South Six 5 members Jacob Bates, and Andrew Butcher, 14, of Greenwood, Indiana. Other performers include Tristan Blaine, 14, of Frisco, Texas; Kira Silverberg, 16, of Miami, Florida; Nic Neufeld, 11, of Dodsland, Saskatchewan; Katie Akin, 14, of Atlanta, Georgia; and Faith Marie Shirley, 15 of San Antonio, Texas. The group spreads their important anti-bullying message by performing Top 40 hits from pop and country artists like One Direction, Taylor Swift, Carly Ray Jepsen, and others. Between songs, they interact with students and share personal bullying stories. “Bullying is one of the nation’s growing problems that can lead to child/teen depression and even suicide,” said Robert Britt, “For these young artists to speak out against bullying and tell their personal stories of triumph over bullying says a lot about the character of these young artists.” Statistics on bullying and suicide are alarming. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC. For every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 suicide attempts. Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it. “The culture of bullying won’t end until people across the country take action and show kids that they care,” says Julie Hertzog, director of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. “National Bullying Prevention Month is a great opportunity to do that. This is a very real and painful issue that kids are facing but they don’t have to face it alone. Bullying can be prevented if we all work together to change the culture.” The Teen Nation Tour started in 2012 with 30 performances reaching about 20,000 people. In 2013, the Teen Nation Tour has ballooned to about 80 total performances in 11 states reaching more than 40,000 people. The 2014 tour is estimated to visit about 40 cities in 24 states including Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Kansas, Georgia, and others. For more information about the Teen Nation Tour, the latest tour schedule, artist profiles, and more, visit Teen Nation Tour on Facebook, follow on Twitter @TeenNationTour or search videos on YouTube. To schedule a school performance or for artist auditions, contact Lee Wilson or Taylor Morrison at 425-998-2986. For program sponsorship information, contact Mike Pace at 410-459-3135. # # #
Posted on: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 15:36:34 +0000
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