SWEETHEARTS & HEROES

Kids attend anti-bullying program at school

SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y.» Fourthand fifth-graders at Schuylerville Elementary School learned a lesson in kindness Wednesday afternoon at the high school auditorium.

Tom Murphy, along with friend Jason Spector, founded Sweethearts & Heroes years ago. Last year, their anti-bullying message was heard by nearly 100 schools and 100,0000 students.

It wasn’t just fourth- and fifth-graders that heard Murphy and his friend Rick Yarosh speak about being a sweetheart and hero to those who are bullied.

High school and middle school students listened to the anti-bullying message Wednesday morning, too.

Yarosh explained his story to the students. Yarosh was injured in Iraq as a sergeant with the U.S. Army. He had burns all over his body, but even though he looked different, Yarosh fought through his adversity, turning a negative situation into a positive one. Yarosh’s inspiring story captured the auditorium as the students gave him a round of applause.

Murphy and Spector call Sweethearts and Heroes “the ‘stop, drop and roll’ of bullying.” Since 2011, Murphy has presented Sweethearts & Heroes to more than 1 million students in several hundred schools from New England to Hawaii, where he traveled thousands of miles, upon invitation, to offer Sweethearts & Heroes at several schools during late 2015 and early 2016. Murphy and Spector also tailor Sweethearts & Heroes for businesses, colleges/universities and camps.

PHOTOS BY JOSEPH PHELAN — JPHELAN@DIGITALFIRSTMEDIA.COM Tom Murphy talks with fourth- and fifth-graders from Schuylerville Elementary School.

Tom Murphy and Rick Yarosh are on stage at the Sweethearts & Heroes presentation.

Tom Murphy talks with students Wednesday.

Students from the school listen to the Sweethearts & Heroes presentation Wednesday afternoon.