Students from Neerim South Primary School and Neerim District Secondary School combined forces recently with a lap-a-thon to raise awareness for "Do it for Dolly Day" - an annual day of awareness and action dedicated to spreading kindness and taking a stand against bullying.
Do it for Dolly Day is held on May 9 each year and schools, workplaces, and community groups rally together to spread awareness, spark conversations and raise vital funds to support "Dolly's Dream" in delivering bullying prevention programs, services and resources.
Dolly's Dream was established in 2018 by Kate and Tick Everett in memory of their 14-year-old daughter Dolly, who tragically died by suicide following sustained and ongoing bullying and cyberbullying.
Kate, Tick, and Dolly's older sister, Meg have been committed to changing the culture of bullying by addressing the impact of bullying, anxiety, depression and youth suicide through education and offering direct support to young people and families.
Every year in May thousands of supporters across Australia come together to honour Dolly by going blue (her favourite colour) participating in fundraising activities or making a donation to help support the important anti-bullying work of Dolly's Dream and share the message to be kind and speak even if your voice shakes.
Students at both NSPS and NDSS walked laps of the Neerim South oval together to show their support for the cause. After each lap, students added a blue stamp to a special canvas to symbolise their support.
Student wellbeing and inclusion officer Tori McKay said the day was all about getting students together and emphasising the message of being kind to one another.
If you would like to learn more about Dolly's Dream visit https://www.dollysdream.org.au/