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Hello Friends and Family,
Once again I am fighting for a cause,okay, maybe not "fighting" but you know what I mean!! The Heart Walk fundraiser was a success. I didn't quite meet my $500. goal but I came close, and considering the state of the economy, I am very very thankful and appreciative for the donations I did raise.
My next cause is the Suicide Prevention and Awareness walk held at the Hanover YMCA on Sunday October 11th. This walk was a tremendous effort to put together, and I still have LOTS to do. I hope to have this become a yearly event for our little town. When I worked at the Wellness Center on York Street, our staff took turns at providing monthly community programs. My first was drug abuse, my second was to be a program on suicide. Part of my research and preparations for that program allowed me to attend a meeting, a groupd effort of area school guidance counselors, area police forces, a coroner and more. I was amazed at the amount of attempted suicides occurred in our area middle and high schools. Not to mention the suicides that actually did happen. It saddened me, and stabbed at my heart with our loss of Kevin and Joey.
When my now ex-husband, Kelly and I moved to MD I had heard about a walk for suicide prevention and awareness, I thought it was a local event and was never successful at finding it again. When I moved back home, Nicole and I decided if we couldn't find the walk and participate, we'd create our own. well, I found out of the Darkness and the plans QUICKLY moved along.....quicker than I could have imagined really!
Now, here it is, only 2 short weeks before the event. I have run into many road blocks along the way, unfortunately most of them being people offering to take on a project and then back out. However difficult that was I am motivated enough to see this through and work my butt off getting it there.
So let me give you a little insight to the organization. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is the leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education, and to reach out to people with mood disorders and those impacted by suicide. Since 1987, AFSP has supported research that is improving our understanding of suicide and its prevention. Since 2000, AFSP has invested over $6.6 million in new studies, as well as provided education and information through public workshops, trainings, videos, publication and public service announcements. Half the monies raised goes back to AFSP and the other half stays local....to our schools, to educate students, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, teachers, etc, raising awareness and prevention for our students. Feel free to check out the website at www.outofthedarkness.com
To view our walk page, please log onto the Out of the Darkness website, click on Find and Event Near You, type in Pennsylvania, click on the Hanover Walk on Oct. 11th. You can join my team "In Memory of Kevin and Joe", create your own team, or make a donation. All are invited to the walk, and I could certainly use volunteers the day of the walk. Please join me for this historic first time walk in our area for this organization. I have no idea what the turnout will be but however small it is, I'm continuing on with this event!
Again, thank you all for your continued support for my endeavors and hardships and I truly hope you can join me! Oh, and please feel free to forward this email to any of your friends that may be interested in donating or joining in the walk, or maybe you know of someone that has also been touched by suicide.
Thank you!!
Once again I am fighting for a cause,okay, maybe not "fighting" but you know what I mean!! The Heart Walk fundraiser was a success. I didn't quite meet my $500. goal but I came close, and considering the state of the economy, I am very very thankful and appreciative for the donations I did raise.
My next cause is the Suicide Prevention and Awareness walk held at the Hanover YMCA on Sunday October 11th. This walk was a tremendous effort to put together, and I still have LOTS to do. I hope to have this become a yearly event for our little town. When I worked at the Wellness Center on York Street, our staff took turns at providing monthly community programs. My first was drug abuse, my second was to be a program on suicide. Part of my research and preparations for that program allowed me to attend a meeting, a groupd effort of area school guidance counselors, area police forces, a coroner and more. I was amazed at the amount of attempted suicides occurred in our area middle and high schools. Not to mention the suicides that actually did happen. It saddened me, and stabbed at my heart with our loss of Kevin and Joey.
When my now ex-husband, Kelly and I moved to MD I had heard about a walk for suicide prevention and awareness, I thought it was a local event and was never successful at finding it again. When I moved back home, Nicole and I decided if we couldn't find the walk and participate, we'd create our own. well, I found out of the Darkness and the plans QUICKLY moved along.....quicker than I could have imagined really!
Now, here it is, only 2 short weeks before the event. I have run into many road blocks along the way, unfortunately most of them being people offering to take on a project and then back out. However difficult that was I am motivated enough to see this through and work my butt off getting it there.
So let me give you a little insight to the organization. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is the leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education, and to reach out to people with mood disorders and those impacted by suicide. Since 1987, AFSP has supported research that is improving our understanding of suicide and its prevention. Since 2000, AFSP has invested over $6.6 million in new studies, as well as provided education and information through public workshops, trainings, videos, publication and public service announcements. Half the monies raised goes back to AFSP and the other half stays local....to our schools, to educate students, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, teachers, etc, raising awareness and prevention for our students. Feel free to check out the website at www.outofthedarkness.com
To view our walk page, please log onto the Out of the Darkness website, click on Find and Event Near You, type in Pennsylvania, click on the Hanover Walk on Oct. 11th. You can join my team "In Memory of Kevin and Joe", create your own team, or make a donation. All are invited to the walk, and I could certainly use volunteers the day of the walk. Please join me for this historic first time walk in our area for this organization. I have no idea what the turnout will be but however small it is, I'm continuing on with this event!
Again, thank you all for your continued support for my endeavors and hardships and I truly hope you can join me! Oh, and please feel free to forward this email to any of your friends that may be interested in donating or joining in the walk, or maybe you know of someone that has also been touched by suicide.
Thank you!!