By Joey Gelman
CHICAGO – (February 2, 2023) – The Chicago Public League (CPL) and Buckets Over Bullying, a non-profit hoops-centric initiative whose mission is to stop cyberbullying of children and teens through education,lawmaking, and legal action, are joining forces for the CPL High School Basketball Championships on February 11 at Credit Union1 Arena.
“We are proud to partner with Buckets Over Bullying in helping to bring visibility and awareness to the important issue of youth cyberbullying and the digital safety of our kids,” said David Rosengard, Executive Director of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Sports Administration. “Our CPL basketball championships will be attended by many teens and parents who will hear first-hand why stopping cyberbullying in our community is essential.”
The full day of CPL championship games will begin at Noon on Saturday, February 11 (see schedule below). WCIU-TV (CW26) will carry regional coverage of the girls’ title game at 2 pm followed by the boys’ championship at 4 pm.
CPL Championship Basketball – Saturday, February 11 – Schedule
Red Division Girls’ Sophomore Championship Game, 11:30 a.m.
Red Division Girls’ Varsity Championship Game, 2pm
Red Division Boys’ Varsity Championship Game, 4pm
Red Division Boys’ Sophomore Championship Game, 6pm
Buckets Over Bullying will also be featured throughout CPL Basketball Championship Week with in-arena messaging at Credit Union 1 Arena (February 7-9 & 11) and DePaul University’s McGrath-Phillips Arena (February 10). The week will culminate on Saturday Feb. 11 with special pregame “Take the Pledge” cyberbullying program presentations during both the girls and boys championship finals. In addition, Buckets Over Bullying will be joined by the renowned Chicago-based Jesse White Tumblers troupe and
social media basketball trick shot sensation Tristan Jass, a.k.a. TJass, for halftime festivities.
A federal report released in 2022 on the leading indicators of school crime and safety reveals that cyberbullying is now the second largest discipline issue in public schools today, more than doubling during the past decade. Additionally, multiple clinical studies suggest that adolescents and teens are up to 4x more likely to inflict self-harm, attempt or commit suicide if cyberbullied.
“We are extremely grateful to the CPL for standing with us to combat cyberbullying. Buckets Over Bullying is working to ensure that no other child or family is devastated by cyberbullying. No one should have to endure the relentless grief and suffering the effects of cyberbullying forever have inflicted upon our family,” said Rose Bronstein, a co-founder of Buckets Over Bullying. “Cyberbullying is an urgent and deadly crisis affecting children and families all over the country. Our children need better protections in place now for the digital world they now inhabit. Everyone – parents, educators, children, lawmakers and digital and social media platforms – all must do better than the current status quo. We must demand meaningful change to protect our children from harm through cyber abuse education, more digital world safeguards and meaningful accountability for cyberbullies and those who enable them.”
Tickets are $10 for CPL Championship games (February 7-9, & 11 at Credit Union1 Arena) and can be purchased by visiting ticketmaster.com. Tickets for Friday, February 10 are also available at the DePaul’s University’s McGrath-Phillips Arena box office on Game Day. Interested media members can request credentials by filling out the credential request form below. Media questions can be directed to Joey Gelman, Manager of Communications for CPS at jdgelman@cps.edu.
Media Credential Request Form (No need to re-fill out if already filled out from CPL Championship Week Memo)
About Buckets Over Bullying:
Buckets Over Bullying is a non-profit initiative of The Bronstein Family Foundation whose mission is to eliminate cyberbullying of children and teens. The sports-centric initiative is a call to action following the untimely death of Nate Bronstein, a 15-year-old Chicago student tragically lost to suicide on January 13, 2022, after being relentlessly cyberbullied and told to “Go kill yourself” by classmates and teammates through text messages and Snapchat at a Chicago independent school. Through education, lawmaking and legal action, Buckets Over Bullying seeks to prevent what happened to 15-year-old Nate and countless others, encourage upstanding digital citizenship, and advocate for the accountability of cyberbullies and those who enable them.
For more information visit: www.bucketsoverbullying.org
Contact for Buckets Over Bullying:
Lisa Salazar, JConnelly
lsalazar@jconnelly.com or (973) 476-4229
About the Jesse White Tumblers:
The Jesse White Tumblers were created in 1959 to provide a positive alternative for inner-city
kids. Team members must stay away from gangs, drug, alcohol, stay in school and maintain a
minimum “C” average. The team consists of male and female participants as young as age 6.
The team, with 7 units, gives more than 1,500 performances each year at major sporting events
and community, business, and charity functions. The Jesse White Tumblers attract national and
international attention and have performed throughout the United States, Canada, Hong Kong,
Bermuda, Belize, China, Israel, Tokyo, Japan, and Zagreb, Croatia. The team has also been
featured in commercials, national television shows, and motion pictures.
For more information visit: https://jessewhitetumblingteam.com.
