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Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones… but words can’t hurt me
Mallory’s Army was formed in July of 2017, after the tragic, unforeseen death of Mallory Rose Grossman. At the young age of 12, Mallory took her life after months of bullying, both at school and online. We believe the old mantra of ‘sticks and stones’ must change to illustrate to our community that hurtful words can be just as painful as thrown stones.
Our Mission
Mallory’s Army Foundation is based upon the 4 following pillars:
Empower kids to be amazing people. We believe that volunteering is a great way to feel good about who we are and builds empathy for others. We want to empower kids to BE the KIND of person they want to meet. This teaches kids what an ‘upstander’ is, within their school and community.
Educate parents. We live in a time where many children know more about technology than their parents do. We must learn from and learn for our kids, to better understand the technology they use and how they engage with it. Workshops and community events bring parents together to learn how best to parent in an increasingly technology-based world.
Enrichment programs for schools. Bringing Mallory’s story directly to the schools helps kids understand ‘gateway behaviors’ and ‘relational bullying’. Showing students together as a ‘group’ helps them understand how small, hurtful moments leave black marks on the canvas of who we are.
Enhance communities and bring people together. If we want to live in a great community—we must BE a great community.
All proceeds are used to raise funds to support the Mallory’s Army Foundation and the Grossman family in their ongoing fight against bullying. Thank you for helping us Blue out Bullying and becoming a soldier of Mallory’s Army.
-Dianne & Seth Grossman
About Mallory’s Army Foundation
One warm summer day, a family friend sat by the creek Mallory played in, trying to grapple with the loss of Mallory. She sat with the now famous blue band on her wrist, and decided to put it around one of the rocks from the stream. She rested the stone on her knee and a quick picture was taken.
This picture, now seen by people from all over the world, became a symbol and reflection of Mallory’s Army’s goal: to use these blue bands, emblematic of love and kindness, to cover the ‘stones’ of the world. Words can be just as hurtful as sticks and stones, so we seek to wrap these stones with our blue bands. This is our vision for a better life.
Telling Mallory’s Story
Many pieces come together to tell Mallory’s story, honor her memory and represent Mallory’s Army Foundation.
Butterflies. We released butterflies on the day of Mallory’s funeral and every anniversary since, signifying that without change, there can be no butterflies.
Forget-Me-Nots. Our flower and our way of not forgetting how fragile life is. If we forget how Mallory was treated, we can never change our behavior.
The color Blue. Blue stands for confidence, loyalty, and optimism. With our Blue Bands, blue also means kindness, love and standing up for what is right.
Mallory’s Day. Mallory’s Day is in honor of Mallory’s Birthday and also happens to be Earth Day. April 22nd is our National Remembrance Day.
Mallory’s Handwriting. The font we’ve used across our website is actually a lovingly handcrafted recreation of Mallory’s own handwriting, synthesized from her own letters and notes.
Where Angels Play & Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds. One of our ambassadors, the Where Angels Play foundation, built an incredible playground in Mallory’s honor at Rip Van Winkle campgrounds, where she spent many summers. The playground there incorporates many elements listed here, the color blue, the butterflies, and more. We’re beyond honored to have such a beautiful landmark dedicated in Mallory’s name.
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