Holocaust Center Gets Funds to Fight Bullying

Glen Cove's  received $25,000 Wednesday to expand an anti-bullying school outreach program, according to the center.

Walmart awarded the gift through its philanthropic arm, the Walmart Foundation. The foundation considers organizations which meet certain guidelines and have a "long-lasting, positive impact," according to a statement.

The money will help make the center's "Upstanders for Tomorrow" program available to more students, the center said. The program seeks to educate students, faculty and parents about bullying, intimidation and harrassment in schools, and how to combat such behavior.

"On Long Island, 32% of students in middle schools experience recurring bullying," said the center's chairman, Howard S. Maier. "We have seen a 15 percent increase in program demand for our Anti-Bullying and Tolerance Program from this time last year.  HMTC serves more than 25 percent of New York State's public and private school students, and this generous grant from Walmart will help us to expand that reach even further. These funds will also give us the opportunity to create take-away resources to reinforce bullying prevention for students and educators.”

Michael Krieger is a teacher at Bay Shore Middle School. He brought his students to a workshop at the center where they learned about the Holocaust and its lessons.

"The videos, informative lectures, guided museum tours, and first-hand account from a Holocaust liberator proved to have a lasting effect on both the students and teachers' lives,” Krieger said. "This was a lesson that both the teens and teachers will carry with them throughout life.”

Walmart gave nearly $400,000 in cash and in-kind contributions to organizations on Long Island last year, the company said in a statement.