Topeka youth stepped up when he saw a friend being bullied. He started 'You've Got a Friend' program.
A young boy with a big heart led Saturday's 26th annual Miracle on Kansas Avenue Parade.
Wyatt Starz, creator of an organized effort to help Topeka students in need, was selected junior grand marshal in recognition of his compassion, innovation and commitment.
Starz, a fifth-grader at Wanamaker Elementary School, experienced bullying in younger grades. But it was when he witnessed someone else being bullied last spring that he decided to do something big.
Starz was at the front of the parade with this year’s grand marshal, Tiffany Anderson, superintendent of Topeka Unified School District 501.
“I saw my friend getting bullied on the school bus out of nowhere, and I didn’t like it,” Starz said. “So we brainstormed all summer and decided on the idea of ‘You’ve Got a Friend.’
“I wanted to help people not get bullied and not go through what my friend and I went through,” Starz said. “One day at school, I (realized) that a lot of kids get bullied for how they look and the clothes they wear and what they smell like.”
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Doing something to help other children
With the help of his mother, Laci Reamer, Starz began collecting donated food, clothing and personal hygiene products to disperse to students in need. Coordinating with social workers from schools in the area, Starz and Reamer deliver gift bags of items once a month to a local school.
“Wyatt’s always been a very kind and caring person, and so it didn’t come as a shock to me that he wanted to help others,” Reamer said. “I’m very proud of him for wanting to do something for other children in the community. We saw what he went through being bullied. It took a lot out of him.
"As a parent you try your hardest to make it better for him. For him to want to make it better for other children is all I could ever ask for.”
Reamer said helping her son with the project has exposed the needs of Topeka students and the desire of the community to help.
“I reached out to the schools, and the feedback I got of the need for it confirmed that ‘We can do this,’ " Reamer said. “We put it out on social media to get support from friends and family. Wyatt has a really good support network. The donations started coming in. It just took off from there.
“Social workers will let us know what they need. The needs are tremendous.”
For his efforts, Starz was recently presented the Exceptional Student Award by Auburn-Washburn USD 437.
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Colorado class inspired to start 'You’ve Got a Friend' program
Word of Starz’s initiative is spreading. A fifth-grade class in Colorado interviewed Starz about his idea and is working to start its own “You’ve Got a Friend” program.
Starz enjoys art class and playing cello in the school orchestra, and he likes helping others. But he doesn’t necessarily like the notoriety he has drawn for his program.
“It’s neat to be asked to be (junior grand marshal),” he said. “It’s fun to know that people recognize what I’ve done. But I don’t really like a lot of attention for it.”
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Wyatt Starz helps bullied Topeka kids with 'You've Got a Friend'
