Saskatchewan Roughriders tackle bullying with Nunavut students

Students in Nunavut got a few lessons on how to tackle bullying from members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders this week.  

Professional football players from the Regina team visited a Kimmirut school on Monday and spoke to students in Iqaluit's Aqsarniit Middle School on Wednesday.

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"Bullying can affect anybody," said Jorgen Hus, a long snapper for the Roughriders.

"Doesn't matter how big you are, who you are, or no matter how popular you are in sports, how much money you're making, it affects everybody the same."

Hus and team members have partnered with the Canadian Red Cross on a campaign called Imagine No Bullying.

Real life advice

"We believe it starts with kids this age and they'll hopefully take it with them the rest of their life," said Hus.

Hus said when he was a kid there was very little discussion about bullying.

"We didn't have people come in and share stories and talk about what do you do if you do see bullying scenarios going on, if you are being picked on, or even if you are the bully," said Hus.

These are the things Hus and his fellow football players are speaking to kids about.

"If you can have someone who's made it through that, or seen that, that can recommend some real life advice, even solutions to take you out of a bad situation, or get you motivated to do something else — that's what we're trying to do here," said Hus.  

Owen Merkosak, a student at Aqsarniit, says it's nice for students to hear an anti-bullying message from professional athletes who are willing to share their personal stories.

"It's good that they do that," he said. "They're telling us 'don't be scared to be open.'"

He added that these conversations allow both bullies and those who are bullied to feel less shy about talking about their experiences.

The Canadian Red Cross' Sarah Burke said the campaign's main goal is to teach kids to stand up and help friends.

"We want kids to know if they're either doing the bullying or being bullied, or watching bullying, they all have the power to stop," said Burke.