Bully prevention workshops available

WARWICK — United Martial Arts Centers held a bully prevention workshop on Oct. 13 to help educate the parents and children of our community.

“My wife and I have lived in Warwick for 27 years and have taught martial arts here for over 20 years and feel very strongly about giving back to our community and helping the children” Grand Master Edmund Ciarfella, 7th Dan Black Belt and Owner of UMAC, said in his press release about the program.

“Bully Awareness Month is a crusade of individuals, organizations and leaders who are interested helping anyone who is bullied, witnesses bullying, or is a bully,” Ciarfella added. “As our society is distracted with television, media and online poison on how to behave, we must spread the message to our youth of how to be respectful, positive and polite. While most media is about bad news, and negative propaganda, we have the tools and freedom to help spread positive messages.

The goal of United Martial Arts Centers, Ciarfella added, “is that we can all work together to make as many people as possible aware that bullying has a terrible effect for years on individuals, and that if we come together we can and will make a difference.”

Special guests at the event were Mayor Michael Newhard, Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton and Fire Captain Steve Stuart.

United Martial Arts Centers will be holding Bully Prevention Part 2 on Saturday Oct. 27, from 1 to 2 p.m. followed by its annual Halloween Party open to the community from 6 to 8 p.m.

For more information and to reserve child’s spot, call 845-987-1853 or visit www.umacenters.com.