REWARDING TLC
Some good deeds can go unpunished and, better yet, get rewarded. Just ask Boston-born musician Jessie Chris, whose quest for kindness was recently celebrated at the second annual
Give a Little TLC Awards.
In recognition of her efforts in combating bullying, the country singer was one of the few fearless fighters honored during the TLC event, which took place at the Park Hyatt in New York City on Thursday. She was joined by fellow change-makers, including
Jazz Jennings, star of “I am Jazz” and LGBTQ activist Derek Hough of “Dancing with the Stars,” as well as Kelly Osbourne, TV personality and daughter of famed rocker Ozzy Osbourne.
Chris accepted her award during a ceremony hosted by Randy Fenoli, noted wedding dress designer and expert bride-whisperer on TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress,” that also featured an appearance from actress Brittany Snow, who’s also the co-founder of Love is Louder. Our very own Boston gal capped off the feelgood festivities with a performance, singing her hit power anthem “Rome” for the crowd. And, as an added perk prior to accepting the crystal trophies, Chris and the other honorees joined TLC President Howard Lee to ring the NASDAQ bell at market open.
As far as Chris’ connection to the anti-bullying cause, she’s taken her past experiences as victim and used them as fuel for bringing awareness to the issue — not only through her music, but also by speaking with young students directly. This year, the singer, who also serves as the face of The Ad Council’s #BeMore campaign, set a goal of visiting 100 schools to discuss the soul-shattering impact bullying can have on people and talk about how to prevent it.
To date, she has managed to visit 54 institutions and expects to surpass her goal. And for students she can’t reach in person, Chris has authored a new children’s book, “Dreams,” which she released last week. Inspired by her own childhood, the story is meant to encourage kids to lift each other up, rather than knocking each other down.