High school wrestler starts organization to stop bullying, suicide

A high school wrestler from Howell says that he wants to stop bullying and help with suicide prevention.

News 12 Staff

Dec 21, 2018, 3:36 AM

Updated 1,946 days ago

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A high school wrestler from Howell says that he wants to stop bullying and help with suicide prevention.
Shane Reitsma started the organization Change the Statistics.
Reitsma says that he was inspired by his uncle Walter, a Marine who served in Iraq. Reitsma says that his uncle suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and took his own life in 2017.
Change the Statistics’ Instagram page is filled with inspirational quotes.
"I just wanted to spread awareness and help the people who are struggling to get the help they needed and just for them to know that someone's there for them,” Reitsma says.
The high school junior says that his wrestling team is always there for him.
Reitsma is also more than halfway to breaking the all-time wins record at Howell High School. He says that while these milestones are special to him, what’s more important is changing people’s lives. Reitsma recently hosted a 5K race to fundraise for the cause.
“I’m hoping that we can raise money for people to go to therapy and get the help they that they need if they can’t afford it,” he says.
More information about Change the Statistics can be found on the group’s Instagram page.


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