Landmarks Glow Orange for Bullying Prevention Campaign

Landmarks Illuminate Orange for Bullying Prevention

On Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, the American Association of Orthodontists and Stand for the Silent announced their joint partnership for the annual Bullying Bites campaign, as detailed in a report published by PR Newswire M&A. The campaign coincides with National Bullying Prevention Month and National Orthodontic Health Month. The primary goal of the initiative is to encourage families, schools, orthodontic practices, and communities to stand together against bullying by promoting kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.

As part of this year's effort, nearly two dozen monuments and landmarks across the United States and Canada will be illuminated in orange on or around Unity Day. Scheduled locations include the Big Dam Bridge in Little Rock, Arkansas, Canada Place Sails in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Delaware State Capitol in Dover, Delaware, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Bridge in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tennessee. Additional participating sites feature Houston City Hall, the I-35W St. Anthony Falls Bridge in Minneapolis, Downtown Kansas City, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, London City Hall in Ontario, the New York State Capitol in Albany, The Parthenon in Nashville, Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, RBC Place London, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Salem's Union Street Railroad Bridge, Skydance Bridge in Oklahoma City, the SkyWheel in Myrtle Beach, the State Farm Center in Champaign, the St. Louis Science Center, the Union Plaza Building in Little Rock, and U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Data Highlights Persistent Student Bullying Concerns

Unity Day is celebrated on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, serving as the signature event of the month-long observance where participants wear and share orange. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics cited in the report, one out of every five students ages 12 to 18 reports being bullied during school. Furthermore, 41.3% of students who reported being bullied indicated that they think the bullying would happen again. These statistics highlight ongoing challenges that market observers and public health advocates monitor closely across educational systems.

Orthodontists occupy a unique position to support children and families because they routinely see school-aged patients every six to eight weeks throughout treatment. These regular appointments offer providers an opportunity to reinforce positive messages about kindness while helping parents recognize signs that a child may be struggling. "Orthodontists have the opportunity to build relationships with young people and their families over time, which gives us an important platform to reinforce the message that everyone deserves to feel safe, accepted and supported," said Dr. Michael Durbin, AAO president. "Through our Bullying Bites campaign with Stand for the Silent, we hope to turn a simple message into visible action."

Campaign Expansion and Corporate Partnerships

Kirk Smalley, president and co-founder of Stand for the Silent, emphasized the community-wide responsibility required to protect youth. "Every child deserves to feel safe and supported, and every community has a role to play in making that possible," Smalley said. Stand for the Silent was founded in 2010 in honor of his 11-year-old son, Ty Field-Smalley, who took his own life after enduring prolonged bullying. Similar to how technology providers scale digital infrastructure, the nonprofit has grown into a nationwide movement sharing educational assembly programs in schools.

Pledge cards and campaign materials will be distributed in orthodontic offices and online to help AAO members commit to anti-bullying efforts. Additionally, the AAO invites supporters to engage with Kind Lips, a lip balm company that donates 20% of every product purchased to anti-bullying organizations. Members may also sponsor Stand for the Silent school assembly programs nationwide. Founded in 1900, the American Association of Orthodontists represents 19,000 orthodontist members throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad as the world's oldest and largest dental specialty organization.