Trying to raise awareness for anti-bullying

October is National Bullying Month, and there is an effort in Marquette County to raise money for a series of anti–bullying presentations from a unique young woman.

Mariah Moore is a world champion martial artist from the Grand Rapids area.

She was bullied in school growing up and now she is launched an anti–bullying speaking tour called Enough is Enough to help kids in a similar situation.

A Gwinn woman is raising money to have Moore visit every school in Marquette County so she can tell her story.

“My dad would always say ‘We reap what we sow’, and given the depth of this issue and the horrific stories that parents have shared with me about their children being bullied, or about they themselves as children being bullied, i’m afraid we haven’t planted so well,” Catherine Quayle said.

School districts hold assemblies like Moore’s every now and then to address subjects like bullying.

Marquette Area Public Schools are taking the fight against bullying to the classroom as well.

“We also have an advisory program, and through that advisory program, we build small groups and small communities where we can talk about those kinds of issues,” MAPS Interim Superintendent Bill Saunders said. “We also use positive messaging, project wisdom, those types of programs.”

Quayle says many interested donors and parents are contacting her on Facebook about Mariah Moore.

So far six schools have paid to enlist Moore’s services, thanks in part to Marquette’s Rotary Club who matched the funding raised so far.