Redskin Trail in Wapakoneta was filled with members of the Wapakoneta community hoping to send a message against bullying.
Two separate incidents became known to the community that caused the demonstration. In one incident, a student was bullied for attending a Black Lives Matter rally, while the other incident saw a student being bullied for their sexuality.
Korbin Steinbrunner is a student at Wapakoneta High School. Once he learned of the two incidents, he wanted to team up with other students as well as community members to inspire positive change within the community.
The idea of a peaceful demonstration in front of the high school came to fruition, and on Friday, students, teachers, and residents crowded the sidewalk of Redskin Trail once school let out, in order to have their messages seen by students and faculty.
"Just specifically to share support to anybody who has to deal with bullying in their high school experience or middle school experience, and life in general," said Steinbrunner. "It's a really big issue that needs to be addressed."
Those in attendance held a variety of signs that read "You are perfect" "Spread Kindness" and "Life each other up".
Terri Blosser graduated from Wapakoneta High School, and joined the demonstration. She says that she is encouraged that students are taking the initiative to inspire change.
"Wapak has had very little diversity for decades," said Blosser. "So now when there starts to be a little bit of more diversity in this town, there's pushback. That's very disappointing to me. I hope that these students that see this go forward and make a change in Wapak."
Korbin says he hopes that one thing is clear when people pass by and see the demonstration: there are people who will support you when you are expressing yourself, and that bullying has no place in Wapakoneta.
"That means that any person that is exiting the school right now, parents, children, friends and family, bus drivers, anybody, to see this visual representation of care and support. Kindness is specifically our motto. Hopefully, we will be carrying that on."
