- April 5, 2025
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Comedian and magician Mark Alan teaches children the important message of anti-bullying. Photos by Anastasia Pagello
Mark Alan teaches kids to be a hero and not a zero.
Vianka Zevallos, age 9, tells theoretical bullies "Stop!" with her mother Erica.
Mark Alan explains the different levels of bullying and visually shows the devastating effects of bullying.
Alicia Parris helps to visually show the devastating effects of bullying.
Beulah Szot and Michaela, age 5, catches a bad word tossed by Mark Alan.
Comedian and magician Mark Alan travels to Florida and Georgia schools to teach children about the devastating effect bullying can have on victims. Alan makes great use of props while performing magic tricks to capture the children’s imagination. Bullying is a common problem nationwide within schools and places of business. His wife, Lorrain, came up with the idea from seeing the problem first-hand through teaching at a middle school. Alan uses his “Take a S.T.A.N.D. Against Bullying” performance to educate children at a young and impressionable age.
“I want to educate them early enough that the message sticks with them as they get older,” Alan said.
Alan chose Alicia Parris, age 10, to help demonstrate the emotional strain bullying can have on a victim. He handed her a paper bag and asked her to pretend the bag was a person. After balling it up and throwing it to the floor Alicia flattened it out to observe the damage she had inflicted. Alan used the metaphor to show the physical and mental damage bullying can have on a real person.
The event was funded by the Friends of the Library.
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