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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, F eb ru ar y 15 ,2 01 8 | 10 FEELING DOWN, WORRIED? STRESSED? UNABLE TO COPE? READY TO MAKE A POSITIVE CHANGE? We can help. Talk one-on-one with our friendly, qualified counsellors at our Free Walk-In Counselling Service. We can help you find ways to improve your wellness, cope better, and create positive solutions to life's challenges. No appointment necessary. First come, first served. Ages 16+. Hours: 1 pm to 7 pm in all locations (last appointment begins at 7 pm). Please check our website for notice of holiday and other closures. For more information, call us at 1-877-693-4270. www.halton.cmha.ca MILTON Mondays The John Howard Society 191 Main Street East OAKVILLE Wednesdays CMHA Halton Region Branch 1540 Cornwall Road BURLINGTON Tuesdays St. Christopher's Anglican Church 662 Guelph Line GEORGETOWN Thursdays Hillsview Active Living Centre 318 Guelph Street (back of building) Funded in part by Imagine the perfect party in your new kitchen. 10 Mountainview Rd S, Unit 10, Georgetown, ON 905-877-3636 email: info@silverwoodkitchens.ca Don't miss out! Visit website for details and to register! georgetownsoccerclub.com SUMMER CAMP and PARENT AND TOT PROGRAM registration also available Sign up now for the world's most popular game. Soccer is affordable, a great team sport, builds social skills, provides excellent exercise and is fun! REGISTER NOW FOR OUTDOOR HOUSE LEAGUE Taylor Thring knew itcould potentially backfire, but one of the key messages she emphasized in her anti- bullying video is: "Don't be a Bystander." And after her experi- ence of being bullied in high school, she couldn't be silent. "It was hard to open up about it. It's still very raw. I overcame a lot of stuff and just got to the point where I had confidence in myself," she said. "I knew the people who bullied me would probably see it, but any- thing bad that could hap- pen was outnumbered by the positive things that could happen." Thring themed her vid- eo and anti-bullying cam- paign around her passion, auto racing. The 19-year- old spends her summers racing at Flamborough Speedway and titled her initiative Burn Out the Bul- ly. She's been selling stick- ers, T-shirts and sweaters to raise money for ROCK (Reach Out Centre for Kids). "I wanted to help out lo- cally with kids living in the same town as I did getting the help that I did," Thring said. "I wanted to pay it for- ward." She is now expanding her fundraising to include Kids Help Phone to help kids across the country. Thring said she was bul- lied after raising money and collecting food for a lo- cal food bank. Someone ac- cused her online of stealing money and soon others were piling on through so- cial media. Thring said racing gave her a place to escape. A third-generation driver, she started racing go-karts when she was nine. Though she's competing in a male-dominated sport, she said she's never en- countered anything like at- tacks and insults that were being hurled at her online. After releasing her vid- eo last month, many in the racing community reached out to her. "So many people have said, "I'm sorry I didn't help,' but they didn't know what was happening be- cause I didn't talk about it," she said. "We do need to talk about it more. People are taking it a lot more seri- ously and we need more people to jump on board be- cause it is a horrible, dam- aging issue." Anti-Bullying Day, which originated in Cana- da in 2009 and will be recog- nized Feb. 22 this year, was endorsed by the United Na- tions in 2012 and is now rec- ognized around the world. Though it felt like the world was against her when she was being bul- lied, Thring said she now realizes the opposite was true. "It's been amazing the amount of support I've been getting," she said. "I've got a lot of people in my corner to help me." For more information on the Burn Out the Bully campaign, visit www.face- book.com/ThringMotor- sports. SPORTS Burlington driver going full speed ahead with anti-bullying message HERB GARBUTT hgarbutt@burlingtonpost.com Taylor Thring sports one a Burn Out the Bullies T-shirt. Thring has been selling shirts, sweaters and stickers to raise money for two organizations that work to combat bullying and lend support to kids who have been bullied. Eric Uprichard photo