August 30, 2018 at 3:18 p.m.
Stomp Out Suicide raises more than $83,000
Stomp Out Suicide raises more than $83,000
It was Deb Moe’s first time attending the event and walking in the 5K.
“Each time my foot hit the ground, I imagined crushing the stigma of depression,” she said. “Each time my foot lifted back up to take another step, I imagined lifting a heart to hope.”
Families from all over the metro – and some from surrounding states – came together at Wyoming’s Goodview Park to enjoy the run/walk as well as food trucks and a silent auction. Participants remembered those they’ve lost through a memory line, storytelling, and a balloon release.
The event also featured a health and wellness area where people could learn more about mental health resources. The hope is that people in the community who are struggling with mental illness, substance use, or who are considering suicide will think twice, and connect with the many life-saving resources available.
Country radio personality Paul Thomas “PT” energized the crowd as the event emcee. PT, whose father died by suicide in 2013, founded the #LIVIN Foundation to promote mental health and raise suicide awareness.
Kat Perkins, who rose to national fame on NBC’s The Voice Season 6, entertained. Perkins, who travels the country as a speaker and top-selling rock singer, also delivered the event’s key message, encouraging fearlessness and perseverance in the face of struggles and heartache.
The All Are Welcome Here, LLC, creative team hosted a sign making area with specially designed Stomp Out Suicide signs at the event. Participants decorated the signs with meaningful messages, quotes, and photos of their lost loved ones.
Stomp Out Suicide was founded by Katie and Sean Haines in memory of their daughter Alissa Marie Haines, who died by suicide on Dec. 29, 2011, at just 15 years old. The Haines family took their pain and turned it into fuel for helping others who struggle.
Event sponsors included: Slumberland, #LIVIN Foundation, Blaine’s Blazin’ 4th Inc., Nordson Medical, Reed Psychological Services, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, First State Bank of Wyoming, Powder Puff Clown Club, Coon Lake Community and Senior Center, Linwood Fire Association. Medica, North Branch Area Hockey Association, NutriSource Pet Foods, Olson's Sewer Services, LuLaRoe, Forest Lake Dugout Club, Holm Solutions, Marketing Incentive Resources, American Family Insurance, Bridges & Pathways Counseling Services, Followers of Christ Hmong Baptist Church, Nystrom & Associates, Splitrocks, LLC, All Are Welcome Here, LLC, and myTalk 107.1 FM.
About Canvas Health:
The mission of Canvas Health is to bring hope, healing, and recovery to the lives of people we serve. Canvas Health provides services to people struggling with mental illness, substance use, crisis, unstable housing, and trauma. As a nonprofit community mental health agency, Canvas Health offers over 35 programs at seven metro clinics. The agency acts as a safety net provider, serving those with complex needs who may not otherwise be able to afford care. Programs include crisis, psychiatry, counseling, chemical health, and social service programs. For more information, visitwww.CanvasHealth.org.
Comments:
Commenting has been disabled for this item.