Pressroom

Each year, the Community Foundation of Middlesex County Council of Business Partners eagerly awaits October. Why? Because in October, we get to see our friends and fellow UPStanders at our annual Campaign for Bully-Free Rally, we hear great stories throughout the month of the incredible projects and programs our youth are involved with – all year round – to ensure safe, respectful schools and neighborhoods, and we celebrate the incredible boys and girls who have one another’s backs each and every day, cheering one another on, and supporting one another as a community.

2020 changed our usual plans – as it did for so many. Rather than get together at our annual rally, we asked our friends at the schools to share with us their projects and photos of their “orange spirit” on Unity Day. Continue Reading »

Students, educators, business owners, and community leaders came out in large numbers to rally for bully-free communities on October 3, in recognition of National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. While the weather forecast, for the first time in six years, worked against an outdoor event, the Community Foundation and its Council of Business Partners are incredibly thankful that the rally site could move from EMPOWER Leadership Sports Center’s outdoor facility in Middletown to Sports on 66 in East Haddam.

The sixth annual Rally for Bully-Free Communities included team building activities, guest speakers, pledge taking, and the presentation of the Bully-Free Community Spotlight Award before a crowd of more than 400 people. Continue Reading »

Community Foundation of Middlesex County Supports Social Inclusion Youth Project

The “Buddy Bench” is a simple idea to eliminate loneliness and foster friendship on the playground. Representatives from the Community Foundation of Middlesex County and Rushford Academy recently joined students, teachers and parents at Essex Elementary School for a very special ribbon cutting ceremony. The Community Foundation’s Council of Business Partners Fund presented a Buddy Bench for the school’s labyrinth site, an initiative to create an outdoor space of community and inclusion. The wooden bench, with the words “Buddy Bench” spelled out in bright-colored letters, was built by Continue Reading »

We would like to thank everyone – students, adults, volunteers, Council of Business Partners, and CFMC Board of Directors – who made the 2018 Campaign for Bully-Free Communities Rally a

great success. This year we were joined by over 400 youth and adults for a morning of team-building activities followed by inspirational words from incredible speakers who shared their personal stories. October 4^th truly was a day where Middlesex County (and beyond) came together to affirm our commitment to be UP-Standers by taking the Bully-Free Communities Pledge.

Take a look at some of the fun we had this year: Continue Reading »

We are thrilled to announce that the fifth annual Rally for Bully-Free Communities will take place during National Bullying Prevention Awareness month on October 4, 2018.

Rally for Bully-Free Communities on October 4, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. (Grades 5-12)

Once again, the good folks at EMPOWER Leadership Sports in Middletown have generously offered to host the rally on their grounds. The Council of Business Partners at CFMC will provide free bus transportation for all Middlesex County middle and high school students and educators who want to attend this informational and motivational event.

Some highlights of what to expect this October: Continue Reading »

We would like to thank everyone – students, adults, volunteers, Council of Business Partners, and CFMC Board of Directors – who made the 2017 Campaign for Bully-Free Communities Rally a great success. This year we were joined by over 400 youth and adults to spend a morning participating in team-building activities, supporting incredible speakers sharing their personal stories, and affirming our commitment to be UP-Standers by taking the Bully-Free Communities Pledge.

Take a look at some of the fun we had this year:   Continue Reading »