A band of bikers is not the crew you might expect to find coming to the rescue of a 4th grader.
But that’s just what Defenders of the Children sets out to do. The biker organization is dedicated to ending bullying and child abuse
After Katie Laybolt heard about the group and their mission, she reached out in search of support for her 10-year-old son, Xander.
The 4th grader stands more than 5-feet tall, and weighs in at 150 pounds. He stands out from his peers, and has endured years of relentless bullying for his size, weight, race and because he loves to wear his “biker gear”—particularly, a leather jacket.
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Katie had done just about everything in her power to put an end to the horrific bullying Xander faced on a daily basis, but even the school did nothing more than just sweep it under the rug.
Growing up has not been kind to Xander. Katie explained that a recent writing assignment asked him to describe his best memories of the past school year at Harbourside Elementary. “My son looked at me and asked, ‘Are they kidding?’”
Defenders of the Children heard Katie’s cry, and they showed up BIG time to support this future biker.
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On the morning of June 21, more than 200 bikers met at a shopping center in Nova Scotia before picking Xander up and escorting him to school.
People throughout the community ran out to watch the band of bikers parade down the streets of Xander’s hometown, and many came out to show their support in the fight against bullying.
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“I’m hoping he knows from now on, if somebody bullies him, he’s got somebody to go to. He can look on the corner of any street, he’s going to find a leather vest,” Mike Basso, member of the organization said. “He’s now one of our brothers.”
Just a week after the biker rally came storming through the parking lot of Harbourside Elementary, the school held a public meeting to discuss options for combatting bullying.
As for Xander, I think it’s safe to assume he finally has an answer to that writing prompt about his favorite school year memory.
