DALLAS – Tacky Box, a for-purpose company dedicated to creating systemic change In they way children treat one another, has partnered with the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC) and David’s Legacy Foundation to present “Hack the Bully”, an anti-cyberbullying hackathon on Feb. 23-24 at the DEC. Sponsored by Atmos Energy, the ultimate goal of the hackathon is to develop an online tool that weakens cyberbullies and empowers victims and bystanders.

The idea for the hackathon spurred from the many educators who successfully implemented the Tacky Box program in their classrooms but saw a gap in the extreme need for a digital equivalent to address online bullying. According to dosomething.org, nearly 43% of kids have been bullied online, and one in four has been a victim of it more than once.

“Technology has allowed our society to advance in many positive ways, but when it comes to bullying, it has been tremendously negative for children and teens,” said Chris Kent Phelps, Founder and CEO of Tacky Box. “We have a responsibility as adults to help our kids deal with what they face online. Our goal with ‘Hack the Bully’ is to develop a tangible online solution that puts an end to cyberbullying and the depression, anxiety and suicide it so frequently causes among kids as young as nine years old.”

Matt and Maurine Molak, founders of David’s Legacy Foundation and creators of the recently-passed anti-cyberbullying legislation titled David’s Law, unfortunately experienced the devastation cyberbullying can cause when they lost their 16-year-old son, David Molak, to suicide in 2016.

“While David’s Law is a powerful tool, this is an issue that requires constant attention and education due to its pervasiveness particularly in the digital world in which we live,” said Maurine.

The words of their oldest son Cliff in a Facebook post following the tragic loss of his brother encompass the very reason a solution to online bullying is imperative:

“In today's age, bullies don't push you into lockers, they don't tell their victims to meet them behind the school's dumpster after class, they cower behind user names and fake profiles from miles away constantly berating and abusing good, innocent people,” he wrote. “What happened to my beloved brother was a tragedy. A tragedy set into motion by a boy whom I will not further empower by naming.”

The Molaks will share their story in honor of David to kick off “Hack the Bully” on Friday, Feb. 23. In addition, the hackathon will periodically feature specialists to discuss relevant topics such as freedom of speech, bystander intervention and more. After approx. 24 hours, each team of hackers will present their ideas to a panel of judges, including the Molaks, culminating with an awards ceremony the night of Saturday, Feb. 24. The winning team will receive cash prizes in addition to the opportunity to work with Atmos Energy and Tacky Box on the development of their prototype.

If you are interested in participating as a hacker, register at http://bit.ly/2nOLq1a. For more information, please contact Chris Kent Phelps at Chris@tackybox.com. To learn more about Tacky Box, please visit www.tackybox.com.