Blue Bomber Adam Bighill shares Message of Kindness at École J. B. Mitchell

On October 15, Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker Adam Bighill visited École J. B. Mitchell to talk about inclusion and kindness at their morning assembly. 

Bighill, who serves as President of the Making Faces charity, shared his personal story with students. 

Bighill told students about growing up with bilateral cleft lip and palate. Because of his facial differences, he faced many challenges and bullying. Now, he uses his experiences to teach others about leadership and kindness. "You have to make positive choices every single day," Bighill said.  

Through different examples, he asked students to consider right and wrong choices and encouraged them to be leaders, even when no one is watching. The football player talked about what to do when seeing someone bullied. "We should be a leader and tell the bullying person to stop, then talk to the teacher," he explained. We all have the responsibility to end bullying. 

Bighill also spoke about empathy. He asked students to try to understand others' challenges. "When we make an effort to connect and understand, it helps us know how we should treat each other," he said. Students learned valuable lessons from the visit.  

Conway K., a Grade 5/6 French Immersion student, said, "I learned that inclusion is important. Without inclusion, some people will never play the game or join and may get impacted for the rest of their lives." 

Bighill's message was clear: make positive decisions, be kind to others, and work together to create a more inclusive world. We should always treat each other like the way we want to be treated. 

"We have several parents on the board of Making Faces charity," said Principal Matthew Couture. "We invited them to our assembly to support inclusion in our school. We want our students to feel the school is a home away from home."

Julia Carreiro, a Grade 5/6 French Immersion teacher, added, "The reminder of showing kindness to others, even when no one is watching, is my takeaway and an important reminder for students."  

Making Faces will also start a school speaker series about inclusion, acceptance, and leadership. The series aims to build support for students who need help in school communities.