Her mother, Heather D'Amico, posted on a local Facebook group, explaining what had happened and asking members for support and to help raise awareness of the problem of bullying.
Lindenhurst Middle School students were asked to wear bows to school in support of Payton and to take a stand against teasing and bullying. Many students at the school wore bows. Some male classmates wore bows around their wrists to show their support. Other students drew pictures of bows and put them on their lockers to take a stand.
Community members who organize campaigns against issues such as bullying often use graphic design to create a logo for the campaign.
Payton's campaign stretched beyond the boundaries of her middle school. Her aunt, Kylie Breski, posted on social media, asking people all around the world to share photos of themselves wearing bows. Breski received more than 300 photos from moms across the US and Canada. The pictures all used the hashtag #RockTheBowForPayton.
Speaking to the Lindenhurst Patch, Breski said:
"We want to make one thing clear, this isn't about her being made fun of for a bow, this is about standing up against bullies and showing them that this is not okay."