09/10/2020
Hello, family,
I hope everyone is doing well as we continue to stitch our way through this tumultuous year. First of all, I want to say that I cannot stress enough how deeply moved and grateful I am to all of you for your continued support of the anti-bullying campaign. Your selflessness, passion, and enthusiasm has meant the world to me and my team, and we have collected tens of thousands of donated hats that you’ve created by hand.
I know many of you were galvanized by our goal of 100,000 hats for 2020, as well as our initiative; however, given a number of unforeseen circumstances, we have decided to extend our campaign goal of 100,000 hats into 2021. As you all know, none of us could have anticipated the arrival and impact of COVID-19, which has been life-changing for everyone, and has resulted in many curveballs, including for . And because safety is our number one priority, we’ve had to shift our course of action.
What this extension means is that while we will not be distributing hats to schools this October for National Bullying Prevention Month, or hosting assemblies about bullying prevention for students, parents, teachers, and staff, we will seamlessly charge forward with our goal, with more determination than ever. Believe me, not a single blue hat has been made or donated in vain, and they will each make their way to a student next year, when we can organize and deliver our anti-bullying presentations in ways that will best impact our youth.
I’m humbly asking you to continue to stick with us on our journey, and to keep stitching! If you have not yet met your own personal goal of hat-making, you have plenty of time to do so. And come October 2021, we will collectively celebrate the biggest and best triumph to date, offering kids and adults the events they deserve to stand in solidarity against bullying.
Please know this was not an easy decision for us to make. Over the past several months, as your generous hat donations have poured in, we’ve explored a wide variety of options, including virtual assemblies and efforts to accommodate students who are learning on campus and those who are learning from home. But ultimately, the extension was our most responsible option.
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we need to adapt to change and power forward. And rest assured there will still be a wealth of events taking place this October for National Bullying Prevention Month, including on “The Shi Show.” We can’t wait to share them with you! We appreciate you understanding our need to shift gears, and please, let’s keep on stitching together. In the meantime, stay safe, stay tuned, and be kind to one another.
Thank you,
Shira Blumenthal
Founder,
