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WEBVTT LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS. THEY WERE IN THE STUDIO THIS MORNING. RON: MARY RAMIREZ SAYS THERE WERE ALMOST A HALF-DOZEN CONFIRMED CASES OF BULLYING AGAINST HER SON AT SCHOOL LAST YEAR, AND THE HOPE IS, WITH THE PUBLIC’S HELP, THE BIRTHDAY PARTY THEY HAVE PLANNED WILL OPEN UP CHRIS TO A WHOLE NEW WORLD. >> HE WAS BEING PUSHED ASIDE TO THE POINT WHERE HE WOULD SIT BY HIMSELF AT LUNCH, AND THEY WOULD THROW FOOD AT HIM. RON: MARY RAMIREZ IS DESCRIBING A SCHOOL DAY IN THE LIFE OF HER SON, CHRIS. AN OUTCAST, BULLIED BY HIS PEERS SO MUCH HE WOULD COME HOME, ISOLATE HIMSELF IN HIS ROOM, AND CRY. >> KIDS ALWAYS HAVE, LIKE, FRIENDS AND ALL, AND THAT JUST MAKES ME SAD BECAUSE I HAD, LIKE, NO FRIENDS, AND I’M LIKE, MAN, ONE DAY I WISH I HAD A FRIEND. RON: THE BULL’S-EYE CHRIS WEARS IS THAT OF A TEENAGER WITH AUTISM. A SOON-TO-BE 14-YEAR-OLD WHO’S NEVER HAD A REAL BIRTHDAY PARTY, DESPITE HIS FAMILY’S BEST EFFORTS. >> WE’VE HAD WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY PARTIES SET UP FOR HIM WITH WATER SLIDES AND ALL THE THINGS A KID WOULD LOVE TO HAVE AND SHARE WITH HIS FRIENDS. AND NOBODY SHOWED. NOT A SINGLE PERSON SHOWED. RON: THAT MIGHT BE ABOUT TO CHANGE. THE NON-PROFIT CHERAB FOUNDATION, THROUGH ITS NATIONWIDE ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGN CALLED CROWD FUNNIT, IS THROWING A COMMUNITY BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR CHRIS. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO JOIN HIM SEPTEMBER 30 AT SUPERPLAY IN PORT ST. LUCIE FOR FUN, GAMES, AND GROWTH. >> BOWLING, LASER TAG, MINI-GOLF, ARCAES. >> BY PUTTING A SPOTLIGHT ON THAT CHILD, IT’S HELPING TO REDUCE THE BULLYING AND ALIENATION FOR THAT CHILD, AND THEN FOSTER ACCEPTANCE. RON: CHERAB FOUNDATION PRESIDENT LISA GENG HAS SEEN HOW A SIMPLE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION CAN BECOME A BREAKTHROUGH MOMENT. >> IN EVERY SITUATION, THEIR LIVES HAVE BEEN TURNED AROUND AFTER WE’VE HAD AN EVENT FOR THEM, SO IT SEEMS LIKE IT’S JUST A BIRTHDAY PARTY, BUT IT’S SO MUCH MORE. RON: AND CHRIS IS HOPING SEPTEMBER 30 WILL BE H BREAKTHROUGH, WITH THE PUBLIC’S HELP. >> THIS IS THE TURNING POINT. THIS IS WHERE EVERYTHING COMES BACK TO ME AND WHERE I CAN FINALLY PUT THE HAMMER TO THE MASK AND SHOW MY REAL SELF. RON: HE HOPES THIS WILL BE A HUGE EVENT IN HIS LIFE. WE PUT A LINK TO THE BIRTHDAY PARTY INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE, WPBF.COM. YOU CAN EVEN CHOOSE A PERSONALIZED BIRTHDAY CARD THAT WILL BE MAILED TO CHRIS’ HOUSE.

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Mary Ramirez explained why her son Chris often felt anxious and depressed at school. "He was being pushed aside to the point where he would sit by himself at lunch, and they would throw food at him."By his mother's account, Chris has been bullied by his peers so much that he comes home, isolates himself in his room and cries.Chris explained the difficulty of being alone among his peers. "Kids always have friends and all, and that just makes me sad because I had like no friends, and I'm like, 'man I wish one day I had a friend."The bullseye Chris wears is that of a teenager with autism. A soon-to-be fourteen-year-old who's never had a real birthday party, despite his family's best efforts.Mary said, "we've had wonderful birthday parties set up for him with water slides and all the things a kid would love to have and share with his friends, and nobody showed. Not a single person showed."That might be about to change. The non-profit Cherab Foundation, through its nationwide anti-bullying campaign called Crowd Funnit, is throwing a community birthday for Chris. The public is invited to join him September 30th at SuperPlay in Port St. Lucie. For fun, games, and growth."Bowling, Laser tag, mini-golf, arcade." Chris lists the fun activities that will await partygoers. Cherab Foundation President Lisa Geng has seen how a simple birthday celebration can be a breakthrough moment."By putting a spotlight on that child it's helping to reduce the bullying and alienation for that child and foster acceptance. In every situation their lives have been turned around after we've had an event for them, so it seems like it's just a birthday party, but it's so much more."Chris is hoping September 30th will be his breakthrough."This is the turning point. This is where everything comes back to me and where I can finally put the hammer to the mask and show my real self."It is important that you RSVP if you are attending the event. Here is the link to Chris's party information. https://cherabfoundation.org/?s=CHRIS+RAMIREZ&submit=Go