UPDATE: The fundraiser ended at midnight on June 5th, 2010. Winners of the drawing will be posted shortly. I reached the participation goal of $1000. I appreciate all your support and kind words. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.
Charlotte, I need you. On March 18th, the three year anniversary of my friend Heather’s suicide, I posted my story on Keeping Up with the Belks. For those of you who haven’t read it and have ten minutes, I encourage you to do so now.
After I posted, I got to thinking about the power of social media to do amazing things for amazing causes. So, Charlotte, will you help me do something amazing?
For the next three weeks, I’m holding a fundraiser here on KUWTB to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). With a suicide attempt estimated to occur every minute of every day in the US and over 32,000 lives lost to suicide each year, AFSPs mission is vital. This incredible organization funds scientific research, offers educational programs for professionals, educates the public about mood disorders and suicide prevention, promotes policies and legislation that impact suicide and prevention, and provides programs and resources for survivors of suicide loss and people at risk. But perhaps most importantly, AFSP challenges the unnecessary and hurtful stigma surrounding suicide.
Need more convincing of just how significant this is? Did you know that…
- Every 16 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies by suicide.
- Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among teen and young adults in the U.S. and the 2nd leading cause of death among college-age young adults.
- Ninety percent of those who die by suicide have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder at the time of death.
- Talking about suicide will help to foster dialogue and encourage people to get help.
- Depression affects more than 20 million people each year in the U.S.
- Depression is among the most treatable of all mood disorders. More than 80% of people with depression respond positively to treatment.
I know two important truths about Heather’s death:
#1. It was absolutely devastating
#2. It didn’t have to happen
That, my Charlottans, is hard to live with. I know can’t change the past, but I sincerely believe that we can change the future.
Heather
Now for the part where I beg for your cash…
As I previously mentioned, I will be participating for the second time in AFSP’s annual Out of the Darkness Overnight in Boston. The Overnight is a 20 mile walk from sunset to sunrise in order to bring the issue of suicide into the light. Each walker must raise $1000 to participate. There are five of us on my team, a heart breaks it does not bend, so we need to raise $5000 for AFSP in order to walk in Boston. If you help my team raise $10,000 to prevent suicide, some very very special things will happen…
#1. If you donate at least $5 to AFSP through KUWTB you will be entered into a drawing for some amazing prizes donated by some amazing local businesses. The prizes include:
A $10 gift certificate for delicious treats from the wonderful folks at Amelie’s French Bakery! (which is enough for 2 four inch tarts, mmmmm)
$25 worth of table time or merch courtesy of Dilworth Billiards!
A one-hour massage and cup of blended tea at Felicitea donated by the lovely Summer Plum! ($85 value)
A $100 visa gift card!
Two orchestra seats to Wicked for Saturday, June 12th evening show donated by the fabulous Crystal Dempsey of From the Hip! ($190 value, row U seats 7/8)
#2 If the potential to win one of those awesome prizes wasn’t enough to get you to fork over $5 for a good cause, I have one more bribe to sweeten the deal. If you help my team raise $10,000 total for AFSP (twice as much as what we have to raise to participate) I will reveal my identity. That’s right: pictures, life story, the works. If we can band together and do something amazing for this organization, I will drop Meck forever. You will visit KUWTB one day and it will be all BAM! I didn’t know the disco chicken could blog! How does that work, with the typing and his glass covered wing feathers and stuff?
So here’s how it works: You help me raise $10,000 for an awesome cause by donating $5 measly dollars through the link below. You potentially win a very awesome prize from a very awesome Charlotte business. You get to meet a real girl with a real name and a real face that you can forever associate with all the personal stories I’ve told you (and if you make a donation today, you will get your first hint). But most importantly, you do something amazing for a cause that so few people are willing to talk openly about.
Got it? Ready, set,…..
UPDATE: the fundraiser is now closed. Thanks so much for all your support!
(All donations benefit AFSP, a 501(c)(3) organization. All prizes were donated by local business owners)
One more thank you to:
Amelie's French Bakery
Dilworth Billiards
Felicitea
From the Hip Communications
