CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Sisters who attend Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools have been victims of constant bullying, so much that their parents said it is tough for the girls to get out of bed.
Two groups have stepped in to help and surprised them with Super Bowl tickets.
Dariah Smith and Dayona Smith, sixth graders, have suffered a lot because of bullying that their father said has taken a toll on their family.
"They've been getting hit with belts, punched in the face,” father Teyoun McCombs said. "I cry sometimes. It makes me feel sad. It hurts."
The family connected with Tru Blue, a non-profit organization that typically works with kids attending CMS schools who have lost a loved one to violence.
The group got involved in the bullying case.
“I got punched in the face by a boy,” 12-year-old Dayona Smith said.
“My dad told me that it was going to be hard, so yeah, I knew it was going to be hard, but I didn't think it would be like, that hard,” 11-year-old Dariah Smith said.
Organizers of Tru Blue welcomed a national anti-bullying event, Lync Anti-Bullying Event, to Charlotte to give children the message that bullying is not OK.
"I hope it changes the way people look at what's going on with their own children,” Lync organizer Patrick Bell said.
The state reports one in three children is bullied in school. Most students face it during their middle school years.
The anti-bullying campaign will make eight stops by spring. One family in each city will be surprised.
Cox Media Group
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