As Congress goes to recess, Capitol Hill gets unexpected inspiration for future sessions
No matter on which side of the political aisle you sit, everyone can agree positivity and inclusivity encourages meaningful conversations that lead to solutions. On July 26, the 3 MUSKETEERS Shine Corp Ambassador Britain Bennett visited with policymakers known for cooperating across the aisle to discuss how younger Americans can begin to bridge their differences and find solutions, and how important positivity is in building those bridges.
In total, Bennett and 3 MUSKETEERS met with U.S. Representatives from both parties, including Josh Gottheimer (D - N.J.), Tom Reed (R - N.Y.), Mike Quigley (D - IL) and Randy Hultgren (R - IL).
While their constituents come from diverse backgrounds and geographies, these lawmakers were inspired by the #ThrowShine message to bring positivity and inclusivity to Capitol Hill politics.
"Meeting with Britain reinforced how the next generation of American leaders and deciders are not interested in partisan politics - they are eager to sit down and work together to solve issues," said Josh Gottheimer, U.S. Representative from New Jersey.
"Britain's message to #ThrowShine and leverage positivity to find solutions resonates not only here on Capitol Hill, but every corner in America," said Tom Reed, U.S. Representative from New York.
Originally from Sandusky, Ohio, Bennett is one of the original 3 MUSKETEERS Shine Corps members - an annual position within Mars Wrigley Confectionery for teens who have demonstrated their capacity to #ThrowShine through proactive action in their communities.
3 MUSKETEERS launched the #ThrowShine campaign to encourage teens to throw shine, instead of throwing shade. Spreading positivity not only creates moments of lightness and joy everyone can appreciate but can also build to have a powerful impact.
As part of the ongoing campaign, 3 MUSKETEERS bars feature 24 unique, uplifting messages to promote positivity, including: "You Are Awesome" and "You Make A Difference."
While in Washington, D.C., Bennett passed out bars outside a Capitol Hill metro station. The bars were packaged in boxes featuring inspirational political messages such as "Unanimously Pass Positivity" and "Say 'Aye' for Positivity," and Bennett encouraged recipients to share the treats inside with someone from the opposite political party.
"At 3 MUSKETEERS, we're passionate about our mission to spread positivity, so we wanted to go to the place we thought it could be amplified and impact the direction of our country - Washington, D.C.," said 3 MUSKETEERS Brand Manager Rosemary Nocito. "Britain is an inspiring example of the power of young voices, as her message resonates with people of all ages: we are strongest when we can work through our differences to accomplish our goals and make a positive impact."
"The power of positivity can change anyone's life, and is one of the reasons I created my national anti-bullying campaign - TBH," said Britain Bennett. "As a victim of cyberbullying myself, I saw how impactful reaching out and helping a friend, or stranger, can be - and working with 3 MUSKETEERS I hope to share this message with everyone, even someplace unexpected like Capitol Hill."
For more information on how Britain is helping to spread positivity and the #ThrowShine movement, follow 3 MUSKETEERS social channels - Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram.