“You spoke at My High School today, and I have to say, you are an amazing speaker. You touched the hearts of many and some even cried at some point, including me. Now I know that if I do see someone being bullied, I’m stepping in and helping that victim by telling an adult. I’ve heard of many cases of kids taking their lives because of bullying and it kills me that I cant do anything about it. What can I do to help?

Thank you for opening my eyes out to the harms of bullying. I really appreciate it, as did everyone else that heard you”

“You came to my school today. I walked into the auditorium thinking we were getting another lecture on drugs and alcohol. Instead I walked into the best day I’ve had in a long time.

You see, I’m a mean person. I’m mean to everyone around me to cover up my pain. I have trouble at home. When I was younger my life was hell. There was so much physical abuse in my life. Now I’m stuck with emotional abuse and I can tell you one thing…I’d rather have the life beaten out of me…

I consider suicide almost every day. I cry myself to sleep almost every night. My mother lives 700 miles away, my dad’s in and out of jail, and my grandparents…well…I’m just not good enough for them. In order to keep these feelings inside, I bully other kids. Today you made me realize that I could be the reason some girl cries herself to sleep every night. I could be the reason another boy kills himself. You made me realize that I need a change. I was nice to everyone after listening to you. It felt good to look at the girl who sits by herselfat lunch in silence, the girl who has no friends, the girl who gets picked on by everyone…by me..everyday and say “You look really nice today”. Like you said, everyone deserves to be loved. Though I don’t get much love at home, I know there’s someone out there who does love me. Thank you so much for coming to my school today. “

“Thanks for coming to Vineland High school today. It was really amazing. I mean, I’ve seen you before at other schools. I think today, however, I really loved this assembly on bullying. For some reason, it impacted a lot of students, who honestly, I didn’t think we’re going any care over the subject. Thanks for making a difference in Vineland. It really helps!”

“So, today you came to my school , and I’ve seen you at least 3 times and every time you never fail to make me think, and you never fail to inspire me. So thank you, because of you I make it a point to smile and compliment everyone.”

“I just wanted to thank you for coming to my high school today. You really inspired me to do something big, and it starts with me helping the younger kids and the teens who really need help. I want to be part of the help, I want to help kids break free from their prison chains which is held by fear and loneliness. The story you told us about your friend tony took a lot of courage to say because he recently passed away and I’m sorry for your loss. It truly did speak out to me with everything you did from the story to the performance done by the Australian teens (which was really good). I don’t know if you here it a lot, but just thank you for everything you’ve done and everything you will do, it takes a lot of courage to do it. I’ve seen you before but never personally talk to you, and I would like to. I want to help people the same way you do, I want to change people lives for the better and have people see things in a different light. “

“my name is ____________. im 16 years old and go to ________ public high school in NJ. And I wanna thank you!!! you changed my whole perspective on life. everyday  go through life blaming my self for everything.. Even my only sisters death when I was 6(died in car crash at age 19)…this morning I couldnt take it anymore so i grabbed a knife and was about to kill myself, but wasnt strong enough to… so i went to school and when i sat down and listened to u it made me think if i leave now ill never know what im gonna become or who i will be hurting if i die so now 15 hours later im a better and new person who doesnt have to blam everything on herself.life will be boring without me (so says my friends lol)and i know im here for a reason i just have to find that reason. Most importantly im now here because of u so thank you!! for doing what you do AND SAVING MY LIFE!! I dont know if i could ever repay you, but i can start by thanking you and hope thats enough:), from a new and better person.”

 “Im a student of VHS thanks for coming today, I was once a victim of being bullied and had those thoughts of ending my life . But I overcame that and why you may ask , because of you, your words inspired me. Thanks so much. “

As the principal of an elementary school in South Jersey, I typically don’t schedule assemblies but I would schedule Reggie Dabbs again.  I was told he was worth the time and he was!  Without a hestitation, I would recommend him.   Patrice Taylor, Principal Clayton Public schools

That’s all we can say. Your probably saying where have you been, well for 3 months we were serving 37 school districts , doing 32 family nites , 26 family dinners and speaking to over 162,000 students and families! Yes that’s one hundred and sixty two thousand students with 4 of our communicators Seth Franco, Reggie Dabbs, Preston Centuolo and Vai Sikahema and our anti- bullying campaign. So for this update I thought I would let the faculty, students and parents say it all this time.

“My name is Adam Fender and I am the assistant principal at Kenston Middle School where you spoke at this past Tuesday 11/9/11. That afternoon, two related students went home and told their mother about a young man (sixth grader) who has been talking about ending his life due to bullying. The mother called the school to inform us of the situation and so we followed through. After investigating the situation, it turns out that the boy has been verbally abused not only by other students, but also by his parents. He created a list on his computer of many negative remarks made to him by various people with at closing remark that said “my life is worthless”. When I asked the two initial students why the decided to tell their mother what was happening, they both stated that You inspired them to tell someone what was going on.”

“The Youth Alliance is a wonderful resource for all schools to assist in addressing the recent HIB legislation that went into effect this school year. Our school had the pleasure of having Vai Sikahema, former Philadelphia Eagle and Channel 10 Sports Director, in to speak with our students and parents. I can tell you that as the Principal of Veterans Memorial School, I believe we are a better, more informed school after the assembly. Vai had an amazing effect on our students and I honestly believe, reached many of our students. We have used The Youth Alliance in the past, and we will continue to in the future. I urge all schools to look into one of their programs…..you won’t be disappointed! ….Mario Olsen, Princpal

I’m a student from Buena Regional High School and I’m really happy you came to our school today. I’ve seen you a few times now but I love hearing that your coming”. That 8th grade girl you told us about did have alot of nerve because even though I thought of each of those things before, I would never have the guts to say it in front of anyone and after hearing the story, it made me feel so much better to know I wasn’t alone. It’s not that my family life is bad don’t get me wrong I just don’t really succeed in anything I do but after hearing your speech over and over I know to “Never give up!” I wanted to thank you. But other than you just coming to the high school, I wanted to thank you for performing for the Buena Regional Middle School. My brother is in 6th grade this year and things have been hard on him. He gets into fights everywhere but school and he has alot of friends but alot of them are fake and he does wish sometimes like the little girl. You don’t know how much it kills me inside when he says he only takes up space and there’s no reason as to why he should have been born… especially because people pick on him and he’s not a bad kid he’s pretty cool when you know him so he loves you and you’ve definitely given him inspiration and pointed him in the right direction so thank you so much , not only for brightening my day today, but also my brother’s =)

“Vai Sikahema, former Philadelphia Eagles player, sports director at Philadelphia’s NBC10 TV and the host of “Wednesday’s Child,” a segment promoting the adoption of children, visited the area recently to deliver an anti-bullying message, said Jennifer Frederico, Petway principal.

Sikahema’s presentation, which included his personal experiences with bullying, was shared with all students, said Frederico. The visit was arranged through cooperation with the The Youth Alliance as part of the district’s anti-bullying initiative. In addition to Petway, Sikahema visited Veterans Memorial School Oct. 28 and will speak at Wallace Middle School on Jan. 4. According to Frederico, Sikahema’s interactive presentation targets both prevention and intervention, empowering students to recognize, refuse and report bullying. In the evening, Sikahema presented his motivational assembly to the Petway parents. A dinner was provided, for the evening event, through a generous NJEA PRIDE in Education grant. During the evening event, Seth Franco, a former Harlem Globetrotter who is making similar presentations in district schools, made a surprise visit, said Frederico. Franco visited Landis School on Oct. 29 and Rossi School on Oct. 24. “He (Franco) spoke to the parents and students about overcoming adversity even when it is difficult,” said Frederico. “He spoke of perseverance and effort related to reaching your goals. He also entertained everyone with his many basketball talents explaining that after a significant injury (which prevented him from a career in professional basketball he practiced and practiced developing the many tricks which led to his time with the Harlem Globetrotters.” Frederico said both men made a “true connection” with the school’s students and parents. “They are phenomenal individuals who believe in helping children see their potential,” she said. “Petway staff has had a strong focus on character education through our Pathway to Patriot Pride Program,” said Frederico. “Through the development of character skills and powerful role-models, our students will learn the importance of recognizing and stopping bullying in our school.” “Vai Sikahema connected with the students, sharing real life experiences the children could understand,” she said. “His message —’everyone can make a difference’ — was powerful. Our students learned how to stand together to end bullying.”

” I was at Atlantic city high school. Yhu are so inspirational. Yhu made me laugh & cry,just thinking about some if the things Yhu said made me think of myself. I really wanted to come see yhu again tonight but sadly I couldn’t. I just wanted to thanking for giving me an assembly I will nvrr forget & that was so inspiring & inspirational. honestly I love yhu !

Vai Sikahema will host the evening and guests include Reggie Dabbs, Dave “The Hammer” Shultz, Seth Franco, Keith Elias, Brian Propp, Irving Fryar, Barrett Brooks and Adam Bruckner.

The evening will begin at 6 PM and include celebrity meet and greet,  banquet dinner and silent auction.

It will be held at Merighi’s Savoy Inn at 4940 E. Landis Avenue in East Vineland.

To order tickets call 1-888-480-SJYA (7592)

Download Full Ad Here.

The school year ended with bang as NBC 10 Sports Director and former Philadelphia Eagle Vai Sikahema shared stories of his personal life journey with students. He talked about what it was like immigrating to the United States with English being his second language and his father’s dream for him to become a professional boxer. Students heard about love, commitment, and perseverance as he spoke about the opportunity to play college and then professional football. Check out this and other events at www.theyouthalliance.com or www.sjya.com.

Vai S. Sikahema was born August 29, 1962 in Nukualofa, Tonga.  The first Tongan ever to play in the National Football League (NFL), he played running back and kickoff returner for eight seasons, from 1986 to 1993. He played college football for the Brigham Young University Cougars, and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) in the tenth round of the 1986 NFL Draft. He also played for the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring after the 1993 season. Since retiring, he has served as Sports Director for WCAU, the NBC owned-and-operated station in Philadelphia, where he has been since 1994.  Vai is also devoting his time as a motivational speaker with The Youth Alliance, sharing in our passion to empower others to be leaders.

We had an amazing two-week school tour with Reggie Dabbs, with a grand-total of 44 assemblies in 11 school districts. Reggie’s unique approach with students and staff is unrivaled. We received an overwhelming response from the community and the schools. Below are some pictures along with some principal and teacher feedback.

See this and other events at www.sjya.com or www.theyouthalliance.com.

Assembly Comments:

Thank you so much for the great student assembly that you and Mr. Dabbs provided in December of 2010. Our staff and students enjoyed this up to date performance of this most serious subject. As you know peer pressure, making wrong choices and addictions plague our school setting. The message of hope and planning for the future is one that our students can benefit from and you provided a positive view about these problems. Thanks again for bringing this message to or students. You are welcome back at any time!

Albert Johnson, Principal

I had the pleasure of sitting through your assembly today at our High School in Millville, NJ. As a counselor in a school-based services program within the school, I know that our students experience so much pain, sadness, and hurt. Our goal is to reach out to as many students that we can and spread the message of love and family. After hearing you speak today, I felt compelled to reach out to you and thank you for your inspirational and motivational words. I am confident that the students at Millville heard your message and that no one that heard you left that room feeling alone. Thank you again for sharing your story. My commitment to you is that I will be sure to do my part to keep spreading your message. I got your back, bro!! God bless you and your family.

Tim Callahan,School Counselor

On behalf of Lakeside Middle School I would like to sincerely thank you for coming to our school and spending time with our students and parents on Thursday, December 2, 2010. The personal stories and life experiences that you shared with our kids were very well received and the students continued to talk about your presentation for several days afterwards. You had the complete and full attention of 1,100 students. 1,100 students! Words cannot describe how powerful that is. You touched many lives that day with your positive and powerful message of peace and unity.

Several staff members contacted me after the assembly to tell me that the program was the best student assembly that we have had in years. They expressed a desire to talk about the issues that you discussed and help the students build on the assembly. I have also received several phone calls from parents who attended the evening program with their children on Thursday, December 2, 2010. The parents conveyed the same message of positivity that the students did earlier in the day. Your presentation was outstanding, you related to the students and parents in a positive way. I was proud of our school for hosting you, and look forward to working with you again to help our students.

Stephen M. Wilchensky

Vice Principal

Lakeside Middle School

I would like to thank you for bringing Mr. Reggie Dabbs to Success as a guest speaker. Our students responded very well after the program and asked when he was returning for another visit. This is now the 3rd time that I have seen Reggie speak and he gets better each time I see him. Once again thank you for taking the time out of your day and spending it with our students. Our students look forward to having you back again in the future. Please let me know when the next speaker can attend and we will arrange the time.

Bob Rush

Special Education

Success School

I would like to formally thank you again for the marvelous performance given by The Youth Alliance Family. My children were enamored by the talent and charisma of the performers. My Staff is still laughing at their own performance. We were pleased, entertained, excited and just plain happy to have an important message delivered with enthusiasm and talent. May all of you have a joyous holiday and continue to bring your inspirational message as far as possible in the coming year. God Bless.

Sylvia W. Stewart, Principal, New Jersey Avenue School

I am following up with you regarding the Reggie Dabbs presentation given today at MSHS. From an administrative standpoint, his presentation is excellent. The positive message conveyed by Mr. Dabbs truly opens the hearts and minds of our students. Many students walked through the halls once they exited the auditorium with smiles on their faces and a bounce in their step. Also, many students approached me to say positive things and to tell me that “they had my back”. Being an administrator and being in charge of discipline, students don’t usually want to freely speak with me because it usually isn’t positive. Today, for at least a while, they will.

All of the administration and staff thoroughly enjoyed his messages and stories. Mr. Dabbs attitude and demeanor conveys positive messages and allows for a brief time, all of the boundaries in our school, lives and jobs to be broken down. Our staff loved his presence today in the building and we can only hope that we can have him here in the future.

It is my hope that what I have just relayed to you through this e-mail is the response you were looking to receive by reaching out to me today. If there is anything I can do for you in the future, please let me know.

Mr. Volovar , Vice Principal

“hey reggie, you came to my school, lakeside middle school in millville new jersey. you truly inspired me with your stories and jokes. i can tell you inspired others because they were crying. so was I. my homeroom teachers eyes were watering. you really made my day that day you came, so hopefully you could come again. <I GOTCHO BACK!!!>”

Student

Reggie Dabbs:

Born to an unwed teenager who at one time considered abortion as a viable option for solving her “problem,” Reggie Dabbs considers himself fortunate to be alive. With no place to go, the pregnant teenager ended up living in a chicken coop in Tennessee. It was there she remembered a former school teacher, Mrs. Dabbs, who had said to her students, “If you ever need anything, call me,” and gave the students her home phone number. The girl called.

Mrs. Dabbs and her husband, whose six children were adults by this time, took the girl into their home and cared for her until after the baby was born. They continued to care for little Reggie as foster parents until he was in the fourth grade, and then they officially adopted him and gave him the Dabbs name.

As the Dabbs’ reared Reggie, they instilled in him strong moral values, for which he is genuinely grateful. They also ingrained in him the fact that in every situation he faced, he had a choice. What he did with those choices was entirely up to him.

In the sixth, Reggie began playing the saxophone and hated it. At the insistence of his parents he continued to practice and to play. Not until his freshman year in college did he actually enjoy the instrument, and today, he plays with fervor and expertise.

After graduating from college, Reggie began his public speaking. During one speaking engagement, his host asked if he would be interested in addressing a high school assembly. From that small beginning in 1987, Reggie has become a popular public school speaker.

Just prior to winter break, we enjoyed sharing the musical talents of New Zealander Darin MacDonald with local students. Darin visited three different school districts, taking song requests and captivating the students with his broad musical repertoire. He discussed careers in the fine arts, what is is like being a musical performer, and answered questions surrounding his country of origin and life “down under.” There are a few pictures below along with Darin’s biography. Check out this and other events on www.sjya.com or www.theyouthalliance.com.

Darin MacDonald: Darin is a native of New Zealand, which is located in the South Pacific Ocean approximately 1300 miles south east of Australia. Darin grew up in the quaint art-deco town of Hawkes Bay before moving to New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland to further his musical career.

Darin was fortunate to grow up in a musical family and began playing piano at age 5. He later starting singing at the age of 13. Darin performed in various musicals during his school years. As an adult, Darin regularly performed throughout New Zealand and was featured on national television. In 2001, Darin accepted a job in Singapore before moving on to other positions in Osaka, Japan. Darin later worked for three years for Carnival Cruise Lines, entertaining passengers throughout the Caribbean. Darin now resides in Southern New Jersey and performs at various venues on the Jersey Shore and throughout the Northeast.

Darin is currently involved in promoting his self-titled album released in 2009 and is hoping to spend more time recording in a studio. Darin’s influences are wide ranging and include Elton John, Billy Joel, Damien Rice, Cold Play and James Taylor. Darin is happily married with three children.

Garry Cobb (born March 16, 1957 in Carthage, North Carolina) is a former American football player and current radio personality on WIP (AM) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.A 1975 graduate of Stamford (Connecticut) High School, Garry was a standout for the Black Knights in baseball, basketball, as well as football. Cobb was a linebacker at the University of Southern California where he played on two Rose Bowl Championship teams, one National Championship team and was selected All-Pac-10 in 1978. He graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Sociology. After graduation, Cobb was offered contracts by the California Angels and Chicago Cubs baseball teams, but opted to play professional football instead.

Drafted in 1979 by the Detroit Lions, Cobb went on to play 11 years in the NFL with Detroit, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. Among note, he was traded from Detroit to Philadelphia in 1985 for Philadelphia’s all-time leading rusher Wilbert Montgomery. Since his retirement from football, Cobb has transitioned to being a television and radio personality in the Philadelphia area. He has earned the nickname “G Cobb”. His trademark expression has become “G Cobb in the House”. Since 1997 he has been a sports reporter with CBS 3’s Eyewitness News team. He also hosts his own weekend radio program on 610 WIP.