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News February 22, 2017

Roughriders Continue to Spread the Anti-Bullying Message

Senior Reporter

Dan Clark and Spencer Moore have seen a lot of Saskatchewan over the past week or so.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders teammates have criss-crossed the province as part of the Canadian Red Cross’ Imagine No Bullying program. Wednesday is Red Cross Pink Day, when people are urged to support the anti-bullying initiative by wearing pink.

For Clark, the message he tries to spread to students during his presentations is simple.

“They’re not alone,” the veteran CFL centre said. “We’re here for them on Facebook, Twitter, anything they need — they’re not alone in this epidemic.

“It’s OK to talk about bullying. Today is a huge day, but we want kids to be able to talk about it with each other or their teachers or their parents. We want them to know that if they’re going through a situation, they need to find help — and they need to find it now.”

Moore estimated he drove roughly 4,700 kilometres in one week to visit schools around the province to spread the anti-bullying message. The effort was more than worth it for the Roughriders’ fullback/special-teamer.

“Of course it’s disappointing (that bullying still exists),” Moore said. “But it’s a problem that has resulted in kids taking their own lives, and people who were affected by it at a young age are still affected by it when they’re older.

“You can’t dwell on the fact that (anti-bullying campaigns) haven’t entirely been successful. You just keep doing what you can to try and help the next generation.”

Clark and Moore both have personal connections to the issue.

Clark, a 28-year-old Regina product, wants kids to know that they aren’t the only ones who face bullying. As he put it: “It’s the same thing that a 310-pound professional athlete is going through.”

“I went through a lot of verbal bullying and some physical bullying towards the end of elementary school, but after I got into high school, I got my power from sports,” Clark continued. “(Participating in sports) is definitely something that helped me, carried me through and changed how I view myself and view situations like that.

“My biggest thing is I don’t want another Little Dan to go through it. Hopefully they look up to Big Dan and know they’re not alone.”

Moore, 26, experienced bullying growing up in Hamilton. Like Clark, Moore isn’t afraid to share his story with his audiences.

“I’m not proud to admit it, but I’ve been in all three roles as a bully,” he said. “I’ve been the one who has been targeted, I’ve been the person who used the behaviour, and then I’ve been a witness too.

“They’re all things that, when I look back now, I’m thankful that I went through them because now I’m giving back to kids and they’re learning first-hand some of the things that I went through. That helps with my message.”

The fact that a professional football player is the one delivering the message helps Clark, Moore and their fellow CFLers as they visit schools for anti-bullying presentations. But in Moore’s mind, the celebrity aspect is quickly forgotten as he talks.

“I get the students’ attention because I’m a Roughrider, but once I get into my story, I think they listen more because of the story,” Moore said. “It becomes less important about being a Roughrider and more important that I’m there to talk to them about anti-bullying and building healthy relationships.”

Clark is to head out on the road again next week to spread the word to more students around Saskatchewan. He’s a big fan of the Roughriders’ involvement in the program and of the Red Cross initiative.

The message is reaching more and more ears; now the hope is that it will sink in for more people.

“Eight or nine years ago when the program started, we were talking to 4,000 or 5,000 students (per year),” Clark said. “Last year, we talked to 33,000 students. We’re getting out to the communities across Saskatchewan to help students in need and let them know we’re here for them …

“As long as they keep hearing the same message, it shows kids that there is hope. If you’re going through a tough situation, you can come out fine.”