The Baltimore Ravens' Ray Rice joined a campaign to raise money for anti-bullying efforts, designing a T-shirt that encourages youth to be kind to each other.
The purple T-shirt that reads "You can be a hero to someone just by being a friend," is part of CustomInk's bullying prevention efforts, and comes during the official National Bullying Awareness month. The Virginia-based company tapped singers, actors and other athletes to design T-shirts that spread messages against bullying.
Rice's shirt can be purchased for $20 by clicking here. He set a goal of selling 100 shirts by early next week, and as of Tuesday had sold 70. CustomInk will donate its profit from the sales, around $10 per-shirt, to PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center.
Rice has been a longtime and vocal supporter of anti-bullying efforts in Maryland and across the nation, and personally called a town-hall meeting last May in Howard County after a 15-year-old girl committed suicide following months of cyberbullying.
Grace McComas' death rattled Rice and the rest of the state, and spurred legislation to criminalize online torment. Grace's Law took effect this year, and those caught bullying someone under the age of 18 using a computer or smartphone could face a $500 fine or up to one year in prison.
erica.green@baltsun.com
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