Peabody To Host 'Jason's Legacy' 5K/Walk In Memory Of Late 8th-Grade Student

PEABODY, MA — A 5-kilometer run and walk to support a united Peabody stand against bullying will be held this weekend in memory of Jason Bernard, whose family said took his own life amid repeated bullying as an eighth-grade student at Higgins Middle School this past spring.

The event will be held at 9 a.m. at the back of the Brown Elementary School and will include vendors, raffles, coffee and muffins.

• 'A Moment For Change': Peabody Parents Call For Urgent Action Against School Bullying

"Most importantly, we’ll be contributing to a cause that promotes mental health and awards scholarships through Jason’s Legacy Foundation," Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt said on his social media page. "Let's make this an annual tradition of community, remembrance, and hope."

Bernard's suicide rekindled urgent calls for school and city officials to take a bigger stand against bullying, which many who spoke at a June School Committee meeting said has been a longtime and consistent reality for too many young students in the district.

The city launched a student mental health center at the Higgins School earlier this school year.

The family of Bernard also held a cornhole tournament to support the Jason's Legacy campaign last month.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)