ALDEN — A 15-year-old anti-bullying crusader is onto his next project — a community walk to raise awareness of the bullying problem.

Taylor McCullough, a student at Alden-Conger High School, has been working to combat bullying at the school but wants to go bigger and involve the whole community.

“I’m trying to get the word out,” McCullough said.

So he started the group Campaign for Kindness, with the help of adviser Ann Bryson, an Alden resident. Together they’re planning a community walk for Oct. 28 at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds.

McCullough said he wanted to hold the walk to raise awareness for bullying and said the entire community is invited. It will start with registration at 1 p.m. The walk will go from 2 to 5 p.m. and a cookout will be held after 5 p.m. The event is for walkers and those on wheels — strollers and wheelchairs are welcome.

McCullough said that he’s already received a donation from Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen and has a donation for T-shirts for the event, but that he’s looking for more businesses and residents to donate to the cause. He recently held a bracelet and necklace sale in Albert Lea to raise funds for the event.

“I just thought, ‘How cool would it be to have a walk?’” McCullough said.

McCullough said if anyone or businesses want to get involved they can contact him at 507-320-5486. Bryson said McCullough has done most of the planning for the event and said she thinks the cause is an important one. She said she agreed with a point her pastor made recently which was that people rush to help after teen suicides, but that there needs to be prevention so that it doesn’t happen at all.

“We want people to get along and think about the choices they make and how it affects each other,” Bryson said. “We want to be positive.”

McCullough said he has other ideas as well, including possibly starting an anti-bullying hotline. He’s been working with the Freeborn County Crime Victim’s Crisis Center to see if the idea could become a reality.