PEABODY — One year after Jason Bernard’s death, nearly 80 community members gathered on Sunday afternoon on Veterans Memorial Drive before walking together to Brown Elementary School, united in remembrance of the boy whose spirit and kindness continues to leave a lasting impact throughout Peabody.

The event served both as a memorial for Jason and as a call for continued conversations surrounding bullying and mental health, as Jason died by suicide on May 17, 2025 due to bullying.

Attendees were given biodegradable white and green balloons, which carried different messages. The white balloons symbolized Jason’s innocence and purity, while the green ones carried a more personal meaning to Jason’s family.

“In his very-detailed, two-page letter, he left us a message that if we see any green insect or green hearts, to remember him and think of him,” Cely Rosario, Jason’s sister, shared.

On Rosario’s count, the white balloons were released, gently floating in the wind and expertly navigating around the trees.

Following a moment of silence, the crowd then walked along Lynn Street to the Brown School, with green balloons and white candles in hand. There, Rosario read a prayer in Jason’s honor.

“A year has passed, but not a day goes by that we don’t think of you,” she began. “Your beautiful soul, your kind heart, and your bright smile will forever remain in our hearts. We miss you more than words can say. We love you always. You will never be forgotten.”

She continued, “God, we thank You for the gift of Jason’s life. Though he is no longer with us, his memory continues to live on in the love he gave and the lives he touched. Please hold him in Your arms and give our family strength, peace, and comfort every day. Until we meet again. Amen.”

As the green balloons drifted into the sky outside the school, Jason’s loved ones reflected on the impact he had on those around him.

One woman in attendance described him as “very quiet and sweet and genuine,” while one of Jasons’s cousins shared that the last message she received from him was via Facebook.

“He said to me that I did a great job on my daughter’s Halloween costume, and he sent me a message about some cookies,” she said with a smile.

Rosario then turned the attention back to the broader purpose of Sunday’s gathering and the message she hopes Peabody’s youth carry forward.

“You guys are the future,” Rosario said. “We’re setting the example, but you guys need to carry it out. So I want to see every one of you guys volunteer when we do community events, OK?”

“Yes, ma’am!” several people shouted back.

Zaiden Nazaire, a 14-year-old family friend, said he could feel Jason’s presence on Sunday.

“I feel like when we do stuff like this, when we have the community together, we can all feel his presence here… I feel him watching over us. I feel like he’s happy that we’re all doing this together for him,” Nazaire said.

Nazaire also said he hopes the community continues coming together to speak out against bullying and keep Jason’s name alive.

“We need to get everybody here because we don’t want this ever happening again,” he said. “This was not a good thing that happened. I feel like next time we do this, everyone has to come out and support Jason.”

Rosario, like Nazaire, also felt Jason there. She reflected on how Jason would be proud of her for spearheading not just Sunday’s event, but for leading the charge on the various efforts honoring him since his passing.

“When we went to walk to the Brown School, just seeing the people beeping and asking, ‘What is this? What are you guys doing?’ That’s him. He’s there. He was present in those moments of people wanting to know what we were up to,” Rosario said.

She spoke at length Sunday about the work that has been done over the past year to honor her brother’s life and ensure his story continues to inspire change.

“Over the past year, we’ve honored Jason in ways that consistently center kindness, remembrance, community, and youth impact,” Rosario said. “We established (the) Jason’s Legacy (Foundation) as more than a memorial, as a movement focused on kindness, anti-bullying, healing, and community connection.”

She highlighted the Jason’s Legacy Walk, the sixth grade anti-bullying essay contest, Jay’s Cookies, and various other initiatives from scholarship efforts to outreach campaigns as examples of how Jason’s memory has been used as a light to make people feel seen, choose kindness, and create change instead of silence.

Rosario also urged community members to continue talking about bullying and mental health.

“Not knowing enough about something is not a good enough reason to not support it. We are in this together,” she said with emphasis. “The only way we can make change is by talking to our children at home, at school, in the community, and holding every single individual accountable. Our children should feel safe going to adults. Our children should feel safe resolving a conflict amongst peers.”

Before the afternoon concluded, Rosario reminded the crowd that the family’s advocacy work is only beginning.

“It isn’t over yet,” she said. “We are fully getting started, and we’re going to mention his name in every room and space we can.”