Dassa McKinney Elementary School welcomed a new friendship bench to campus Tuesday and listened to Acacia Woodley's story. Principal Dustin Thompson, Gage Simons, Brady Deeb, Assistant Principal Nicole Fox, Cade Ford, Evan Scherer and Woodley were on hand for the dedication. The students are fifth grade boys who are in the Starfish club, an anti-bullying program at the school.

WEST SUNBURY — Making common ground with peers became a literal task with the recent installation of nine friendship benches at eight Butler County schools.

The bright, rainbow-paneled benches are a symbol of friendship and commonality. The idea of the benches comes from Acacia Woodley, a 13-year-old from Florida, who began her organization Tiny Girl Big Dream to promote various friendship tools.

Dassa McKinney Elementary School students on Tuesday listened to her story about her experience with bullying. In her situation, she invited the girl over to her house to talk, and they eventually became friends.

“I want to remind you before you go that if you see someone on a friendship bench, take a moment to talk to them,” Acacia said. “You just might be the friend that they were looking for, and you can never have too many friends.”

Students also received friendship reports they can submit to teachers for random acts of kindness. They also got wristbands that say “I am awesome” on them.

In addition to Dassa McKinney, she spoke at Chicora Elementary, Butler Middle, Connoquenessing Elementary, Emily Brittain Elementary, Summit Township, South Butler Primary and Northwest Elementary schools.

“You might not know it, but kindness is contagious, just like a cold, and I think you can spread it around your whole school and have one of the most kind, friendly schools in the whole world,” she told students.

Acacia’s goal is to have a bench in every school in the United States and Canada. She is on her way with benches at more than 250 schools so far.

Lee McDonald of R.W. McDonald and Sons furniture store on North Main Street Extension made a commitment this year to provide the benches to as many schools that wanted them through sponsors.

There is a different sponsor for each of the 11 schools that received the rainbow-colored benches this month, but McDonald himself sponsored the bench at Dassa McKinney in the Moniteau School District.

Dassa McKinney tied in Acacia’s pro-friendship message with its ongoing anti-bullying programs, including Rachel’s Challenge and the Starfish club.

“It fit in perfectly,” said Nicole Fox, assistant principal.

“It’s not just a one-time program, but a movement,” she said of friendship incentives. “It’s not what we do. It’s who we are at Moniteau. We take care of others.”

To sponsor a bench at a school for the next school year, call 724-283-1500.