TLC Fights Bullying With Give A Little Awards' Program

To highlight the fight against bullying, TLC is inaugurating the Give a Little Award program.

The awards, being done in partnership with Redbook and PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, will honor actress Brittany Snow, activist Monica Lewinsky and the stars of the TLC show The Little Couple, Dr. Jen Arnold and Bill Klein.

Also honored are three contest winners who were chosen for their efforts to address bullying in their communities: Natalie Hampton (Sit With Us), Lauren Coaxum (Think Before You Type) and John Halligan (Ryan's Story).

TLC has been running a national multiplatform campaign against bullying called Give a Little TLC. A new Give a Little TLC public service announcement featuring TLC's The Little Couple will air from Sept. 25 through Oct. 22. The season 9 premiere of the series airs Tuesday.

The awards ceremony will take place Sept. 27 in Los Angeles to kick off National Bullying Prevention Month. Chris Jacobs of TLC's Long Lost Family will be the emcee. AT&T is a sponsor of the program. The company has its own Later Haters campaign.

We are so thankful for the tireless work that all of our award recipients are doing to ensure that there are safe and inclusive environments for everyone and that we put an end to bullying, said TLC Network President Nancy Daniels. These winners embody the spirit of our Give a Little campaign and have made a huge difference in the fight against bullying.

Snow is being honored for co-founding Love Is Louder with the Jed Foundation.

Lewinsky serves as an ambassador to the Diana Awards Anti-Bullying Program. She is also an ambassador for Bystander Revolution.

Dr. Arnold and her husband Bill Klein, who star in The Little Couple, have been outspoken about being the victims of bullying. They wrote about their experiences in their book Life is Short: No Pun Intended.

Here is more information about the content winner, who received a $5,000 donation to the program of their choice. Their stories are featured in the October issue of Redbook.

Natalie Hampton (Sit With Us): After facing severe bullying in middle school and eating lunch by herself every day, Natalie Hampton recognized that a simple act of kindness can make a huge difference. She created Sit With Us, a mobile app to give bullied or lonely kids an ally in their schools, along with an analog version to ensure nobody has to eat alone. The app is now used by more than 100,000 people in seven countries and she is creating localized versions to help spread her global kindness movement.

Lauren Coaxum (Think Before You Type): As teenagers Lauren Coaxum witnessed cyberbullying countless times and saw heartbreaking situations that had a profound negative impact. Along with her sister Victoria, she created Think Before You Type, Inc. a nonprofit organization to raise awareness about cyberbullying, promote positive self-esteem and encourage other young people to use the internet for good. She's spoken at a number of schools, churches and events, shared positive content online and conducted dozens of interviews with influential individuals.

John Halligan (Ryan's Story): John Halligan lost his middle-school aged son Ryan to suicide in 2003, as a result of online and real-life bullying. To help the fight against bullying and suicide prevention he started the website www.RyansStory.org and has successfully spearheaded legislation in Vermont. Outspoken about the need for more awareness and prevention of bullying, cyberbullying and teen suicide throughout the U.S., Canada, and Latin America, he has visited more than 1,800 schools, reaching more than 1 million students directly with Ryan's Story.

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