STAGE TUBE: TD Bank Supports 'It Gets Better' Campaign

TD Bank recently became the first Canadian Financial Institution to publicly endorse the 'It Gets Better' campaign, an initiative which BWW has been proud to support since it's inception in 2010. The project was conceived in response to the suicide of Billy Lucas and many other teenagers who were being bullied because they were gay. Founded by Dan Savage and Terry Miller, the goal of 'It Gets Better' is to prevent suicide among LGBT youth by having gay adults and allies speak out and let youth know that it WILL get better.

In a brave and surprising move, the TD Bank has decided to go on the record as supporting this campaign and deliver a message of hope and optimism to LGBT youth in our communities, as well as employees within the organization and its customers. The video was conceived through feedback from employees who told the organization that bullying and teen suicide was an issue close to their heart.

TD Bank's It Gets Better video features actual employees from within the organization sharing personal stories from their past, as well as CEO Ed Clark speaking out about being an ally to LGBT youth. Mr. Clark delivers a positive message of hope and encourages all LGBT youth to remember that with time, it will indeed get better.

Ultimately the hope is that this video will help reach out to a new demographic and further prevent the untimely deaths of many LGBT youth, but TD Bank also hopes to build awareness around the issue of bullying and teen suicide and encourage more people to become allies to the cause. Ryan Kaufman, (Communications Manager, TD Wealth), spoke to us about what the bank learned while making this video: "What came to light throughout the filming process was just how important it is for LGBT youth who are struggling to have a tangible piece of hope to grasp on to. Consistently, for us, that piece of hope came from the allies we have in our lives."
We are pleased to present the TD Bank 'It Gets Better' video for all of our readers, and we encourage everyone to consider becoming an ally. The more people promoting the message of 'It Gets Better', the more hope our youth can have for a brighter tomorrow.

For more information on TD Bank's contribution to the 'It Gets Better' campaign or other initiatives related to the LGBT community please visit: www.td.com

Kelly Cameron's love affair with the theatre began when she was just five years old, on an outing to see the Original Canadian Cast of Les Miserables at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto. She instantly fell in love, and since then has been lucky enough to be involved in various theatre activities and productions, including a regional production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and a local production of Where the Sidewalk Ends. She has also received training from various teachers throughout Southwestern Ontario in both piano and voice, and competed in vocal competitions for which she received a few awards. Her writing career started almost by accident, when she had the opportunity to become a ghostwriter for up and coming businesses. She continues to do this, writing the content for all sorts of companies who are starting websites and looking to find their voice. Her passion and love for theatre led to her becoming involved with BroadwayWorld where she is thrilled to be writing for the Toronto contingent of the rapidly growing website. When she isn't at the theatre, you can generally find her firmly planted in front of her trusty Blackberry - tweeting, Facebooking or partaking in other such social media activities to ensure that those who want to know are kept apprised of everything that Toronto theatre has to offer. Other interests include movies, art, music, shopping, fashion and martial arts with the occasional foray into the world of finance. Follow Kelly on Twitter at @broadwaybabyto Creep her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Kelly-Cameron/500187141

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