Around Town: Feeling the pride at bully-free dinner benefit

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Back in 2011, Kanata mom Cindy Cutts left a sales rep job that she’d successfully held down for 10 years to pursue her true passion of helping youth.

She started a non-profit organization, Proud to be Me. It’s attracted a strong following of supporters, as evidenced by the sold-out, fourth annual Proud to be Bully Free dinner and auction held Monday at NeXT restaurant in Stittsville.

Ottawa Senators player Chris Neil, who’s recovering from a broken thumb, was there with his wife, Caitlin. Not only did his teammate, Chris Phillips, and his wife, Erin, attend, but their eldest, Ben Phillips, 12, volunteered at the fundraiser.

CPAC’s Beyond Politics host Catherine Clark and her husband, Chad Schella, were also out to support the cause, as was Kanata South Coun. Allan Hubley. He’s been involved with anti-bullying and youth mental health initiatives since his teenaged son, Jamie, who was openly gay, took his own life in 2011. As well, there were some former NHLers at the dinner, such as Shean Donovan, Randy Robitaille and Brad Brown.

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    Amy Twolan with The Loft Urban Salon owners and partners Paul Valetta and Bruno Racine, and Peter Twolan from Porter Airlines, at the Proud to be Bully Fee benefit dinner for youth empowerment and acceptance, held at NeXT restaurant on Monday, February 23, 2015.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
  • ottawa-senators-player-chris-phillips-with-his-wife-erin-a.jpg


    Ottawa Senators player Chris Phillips with his wife, Erin, and their eldest, Ben, 12, a volunteer at the 4th annual Proud to be Bully Free benefit dinner for youth empowerment held at NeXT restaurant on Monday, February 23, 2015.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
  • former-nhler-randy-robitaille-and-his-wife-joanne-attended.jpg


    Former NHLer Randy Robitaille and his wife, Joanne, attended the Proud to be Bully Free benefit dinner in support of youth empowerment and acceptance, held at NeXT restaurant on Monday, February 23, 2015.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
  • proud-to-be-me-board-member-trie-donovan-with-her-husband-f.jpg


    Proud to be Me board member Trie Donovan with her husband, former Ottawa Senators player Shean Donovan, at the organization's Proud to be Bully Free benefit dinner held at NeXt restaurant on Monday, February 23, 2015.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
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    From left, female event organizers Jennifer Clark and Dianna Ashworth (joined by NeXT restaurant owner Michael Blackie), Cindy Cutts, sponsor Kristine Johnson, Kim Dalrymple and Trie Donovan at the Proud to be Bully Free benefit dinner held Monday, February 23, 2015, at NeXT restaurant in support of youth empowerment.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
  • from-left-proud-to-be-me-founder-cindy-cutts-with-chef-mich.jpg


    From left, Proud to be Me founder Cindy Cutts with Chef Michael Blackie, owner of NeXT, and volunteer Jennifer Clark at the Proud to be Bully Free benefit dinner held Monday, February 23, 2015.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
  • ottawa-senators-player-chris-neil-and-his-wife-caitlin-att.jpg


    Ottawa Senators player Chris Neil and his wife, Caitlin, attended the Proud to be Bully Free benefit dinner for youth empowerment and acceptance, held Monday, February 23, 2015, at NeXT restaurant.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
  • from-left-proud-to-be-me-founder-cindy-cutts-with-majic-100.jpg


    From left, Proud to be Me founder Cindy Cutts with Majic 100 radio personality Stuntman Stu and board member Trie Donovan at the organization's Proud to be Bully Free dinner, held Monday, February 23, 2015.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
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    Kanata South Ward Coun. Allan Hubley is flanked by Angie Poirier, left, and Trisha Owens of Majic 100 radio at the Proud to be Bully Free benefit dinner, held at NeXT restaurant on Monday, February 23, 2015.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
  • catherine-clark-host-of-cpacs-beyond-politics-with-her-hus.jpg


    Catherine Clark, host of CPAC's Beyond Politics, with her husband, Chad Schella, director of government affairs at Canada Post, attended the Proud to be Bully Free benefit dinner for youth empowerment and acceptance, held at NeXT restaurant in Stittsville on Monday, February 23, 2015.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
  • jenn-graves-with-fellow-volunteers-ben-phillips-tyler-cutts.jpg


    Jenn Graves with fellow volunteers Ben Phillips, Tyler Cutts and Connor Lockhart, all 12, at the Proud to be Bully Free dinner in support of youth empowerment and acceptance, held at NeXT restaurant on Monday, February 23, 2015.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
  • grace-lachance-14-did-a-gorgeous-cover-of-the-vance-joy-so.jpg


    Grace Lachance, 14, did a gorgeous cover of the Vance Joy song Riptide at the Proud to be Bully Free benefit dinner held at NeXT restaurant on Monday, February 23, 2015.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
  • jen-brisebois-from-the-proud-to-be-me-board-strikes-a-fun-po.jpg


    Jen Brisebois from the Proud to be Me board strikes a fun pose in front of the banner wall at the organization's benefit dinner for youth empowerment and acceptance, held at NeXT restaurant on Monday, February 23, 2015.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
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    Former NHL defenceman Brad Brown, now with Maplesoft Group, attended the Proud to Be Bully Free dinner with his wife, Jan-Mari, on Monday, February 23, 2015, at NeXT restaurant.

    Caroline Phillips / Ottawa Citizen
  • amy-twolan-with-the-loft-urban-salon-owners-and-partners-pau.jpg
  • ottawa-senators-player-chris-phillips-with-his-wife-erin-a.jpg
  • former-nhler-randy-robitaille-and-his-wife-joanne-attended.jpg
  • proud-to-be-me-board-member-trie-donovan-with-her-husband-f.jpg
  • from-left-female-event-organizers-jennifer-clark-and-dianna.jpg
  • from-left-proud-to-be-me-founder-cindy-cutts-with-chef-mich.jpg
  • ottawa-senators-player-chris-neil-and-his-wife-caitlin-att.jpg
  • from-left-proud-to-be-me-founder-cindy-cutts-with-majic-100.jpg
  • kanata-south-ward-coun-allan-hubley-is-flanked-by-angie-poi.jpg
  • catherine-clark-host-of-cpacs-beyond-politics-with-her-hus.jpg
  • jenn-graves-with-fellow-volunteers-ben-phillips-tyler-cutts.jpg
  • grace-lachance-14-did-a-gorgeous-cover-of-the-vance-joy-so.jpg
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Photos: Around Town at Proud to be Bully Free dinner


The sold-out, fourth annual Proud to be Bully Free dinner and auction was held Monday, February 23, 2015 at NeXT restaurant in Stittsville.


The title sponsor was Kristine Johnson, a sales rep with Remax Absolute Realty.

The dinner was MCed by the team from Majic 100 Morning Show. Its hosts, Stuntman Stu and his “work wives”, Angie Poirier and Trisha Owens, spoke about the effective anti-bullying work they’ve been doing in the schools over the past four years. Stu, one of the best-known radio personalities in the city, speaks openly now about how he was picked on in his youth and how he hated going to school because of it.

The dinner crowd — made up mostly of west-end hockey parents — aimed to raise about $30,000 for Proud to be Me. The organization has been striving to create an atmosphere of empathy, acceptance and resilience amongst kids in and outside of their schools. This June, it’s treating 200 children to Funhaven as part of an inaugural Proud to be Fun Day.

The cause is about helping kids become the best that they can be through youth empowerment, explained Cutts, who’s a busy mom of three competitive hockey players (her middle child — Tyler Cutts, 12 — was also volunteering at the dinner.) “I feel if you’re proud of who you are, you’re not going to be upsetting anybody else,” she told Around Town. “We’re here for a short time; we have only one life. So, it’s about leaving your mark and feeling good about it.”

carolyn001@sympatico.ca

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