Sweethearts and Heroes

Gilboa, N.Y., students activate HOPE with Sweethearts & Heroes: 10/3-10/5

GILBOA, N.Y. –– An amazing squad of cape-less superheroes will emerge upon Gilboa soon to show students and educators how they can spread HOPE (Hold On, Possibilities Exist!) during the 2022-2023 school year — and beyond.

Sweethearts & Heroes, a student empowerment and empathy activation team that prevents bullying and suicide, will be in the Gilboa-Conesville Central School District from Monday, Oct. 3 through Wednesday, Oct. 5. The media is invited.

The Sweethearts & Heroes team is Tom Murphy, director, and co-founder, of St. Albans, Vt.; Ret. U.S. Army Sgt. Rick Yarosh, a HOPE expert and motivational speaker from New York who was burned severely while serving in Iraq; and Pat Fish, an aspiring young leader who first saw Sweethearts & Heroes as a student in South Glens Falls, N.Y.

Sweethearts & Heroes offers a profound, engaging signature presentation that calls for HOPE, Empathy, and Action; Circle, which is built on the ancient ritual of communicating in a circle to build empathy; and BRAVES Buddies, which trains older students in bully drills that they, in turn, teach to students in lower grades.

“We’re thrilled to be working in New York again for the 2022-2023 school year, and we’re honored that our friends and colleagues in Gilboa asked us to visit for three days,” said Murphy. “The most recent national data tells us that student anxiety and hopelessness are still on the rise — a trend that was escalating before COVID hit — so our work in Gilboa is crucial.”

While in Gilboa, the team will spend Day One (10/3) offering its signature presentation to students. On Days Two and Three (10/4 and 10/5), the team will work on Circle with students and teachers. (For more on Circle: .)

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Sweethearts & Heroes prior to my time at Gilboa-Conesville Central School, and the positive impact they had on students and staff greatly exceeded expectations. I am very excited for the GCCS community to hear and experience their message of HOPE.” - Shawn Davis, Principal

For more than 15 years, Sweethearts & Heroes has presented what Murphy calls “‘the ‘stop, drop and roll’ of bullying” to more than 2 million students in school districts from New England to Hawaii. Murphy, Yarosh, and Fish also tailor their presentations and workshops for businesses, non-profits, and civic groups. Murphy said, “We go where we’re needed. That’s what heroes do.”

In 2021, Sweethearts & Heroes released 13 Pillows For Affective Teachers, a novel that covers the themes of HOPE, Empathy, and Action in the Sweethearts & Heroes curriculum. 13 Pillows is based on real students and teachers that Sweethearts & Heroes has encountered. Murphy co-wrote the book with Brian McKeon, of Fort Worth, Texas. 13 Pillows is available on Amazon. Digital or printed copies are available upon request. The audiobook is on Audible. (On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/13Pil...)

For more information on Sweethearts & Heroes, visit sweetheartsandheroes.com.

Or watch these short, impactful trailers: