Kevin's Story: No More Bullying!

"Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure." – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist 

That's one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite all-time books, which is parallel to what I hope to achieve here in my collaboration with GoFundMe.

Hello everyone.  My name is Ralph A. Gilmore.  I'm an NYC native graphic designer, artist, writer, blogger and proud father of a 13-year old female futurist, Jordan A. Gilmore.  Around this time last year, my daughter Jordan, wrote a fictional book in which she titled, 'Kevin's Story.'  It's a short story that involves the lessons learned when it comes to bullying.

Some of you might not be aware of this, but there is a strong link between bullying and suicide, as suggested by recent bullying-related suicides here in the United States and in other countries.  As a full-time father, I want to make a concentrated effort to reach out to teachers, students and other parents to bring awareness to the dangers of bullying, while also help students who may be at risk of committing suicide.  I was never bullied in my childhood, but I've seen kids who've experienced it–and there's nothing cool about it at all.

In recent years, a series of bullying-related suicides in the U.S. and around the globe have brought attention to the connection between bullying and suicide. Unfortunately, there are too many adults that still makes the assumption that bulling is simply "just part of being a kid," it is a serious problem that leads to many negative effects for victims, including suicide. Sometime after Jordan wrote here book last year, I started kicking around some ideas on possibly getting her book published.  My epiphany took a backseat to the daily grind of freelancing and making ends meet. My objective at this time is to get the book mass-produced and hopefully, get it to the right people who needs.  This is where I need your help:

I'm seeking financial backing to assist me with the costs of marketing, promoting, production and distribution. The ultimate goal is to eventually get the book in local bookstores and libraries.  Initially before I started this campaign, I wasn't quite sure if this would be a good idea.  I found myself wondering, "will anyone show up for this?"  So I inquired with other bloggers and authors and the most common suggestion I came away with was to start a donation campaign.

I also plan to make it a goal to speak to various schools and other community organizations about bullying and suicide.  Even further, I plan to donate a portion of all future book sales to a charitable organization that supports anti-bullying, awareness and suicide prevention.  Your donations will help cover the costs I've mentioned above and to be quite honest, my trusty little PC Desktop is on it's last leg.  (Hey, I'm just being honest.)  I am not comfortable asking for help and would rather do without, than asking for help outside of my immediate family.  However, this endeavor is very important to me and I'm asking that you consider helping me help others.

I'm excited about what I'm doing and it's always pleasure for me to encourage my daughter's creative side.  My hope is that this book will spark in-depth discussions on the dangers of bullying and the prevention of it–while also teach kids how to face the issues of bullying with the help of parents, friends, peers and caring adults.  The book is geared towards the children's age bracket of 10 to 14 years old, in which girls may be at higher risk of bullying-related suicides, according to national studies.

Any financial contribution you can provide to help me pursue my goals will be greatly appreciated and more importantly, it will help me realize a dream that is no longer deferred.  I'll be more than happy to post updates for those who are interested.  I am grateful for your support.