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CHL Mississippi RiverKings

RiverKings Focus on Suicide Prevention February 26th

February 17, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


SOUTHAVEN, MS --- The Mississippi RiverKings will spotlight the works of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and celebrate their efforts in raising $2,000 in grants from the RiverKings and owner Maddox Foundation through a ticket fundraiser during the team ‚¬â„¢s Saturday, Feb. 26 game against the Tulsa Oilers at the DeSoto Civic Center.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide.

"Our involvement helps bring deeper meaning to the lives of those cut short by suicide," AFSP Out of the Darkness Community Walk committee member Carol Andrew said. "The Memphis/Mid-South AFSP Chapter brings that mission directly to our community, by supporting events that help funds stay in our area to benefit families and individuals in need."

AFSP accomplishes its mission through five key strategies: funding research, offering educational programs for professionals, educating the public about mood disorders and suicide prevention, promoting policies and legislation that impact suicide and prevention, and providing programs and resources for survivors of suicide loss and people at risk.

The Memphis/Mid-South Chapter hosts the 5K Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention and Awareness Community Walk each fall in cooperation with the AFSP national organization. Families may form teams to walk in memory of loved ones. In addition to numerous individual walkers, 32 organized teams participated in the 2010 Memphis-MidSouth Walk.

Proceeds from the Walk are used to fund four local monthly support groups (three in the Memphis area and one in Southaven) and various awareness and educational activities in the Mid South. The 2011 Out of the Darkness Walk is Saturday, Oct. 15, at Memphis Botanic Garden.

"Before we began holding monthly support group meetings, there were no ongoing meetings for families in our community who have suffered a loss to suicide," Andrew said. "These support groups bring much needed resources to people dealing with a very difficult loss."

AFSP was formed in 1987 by a number of leading experts on suicide in tandem with business and community leaders and survivors of suicide. They believed that only a combined effort would make it possible to fund the research necessary for progress in the prevention of suicide. Such an approach has proven successful with heart disease, cancer and diabetes and it was hoped it would be successful in dealing with depression and suicide.

Many of the founders were concerned with the alarming rise in youth suicide during the previous four decades. During this period, the suicide of young men had tripled; that of young women had doubled. Today, suicide is the second major cause of death among high school and college students.

Suicide is even more frequent among older people. The highest rates are found in men over 50.

"It is very meaningful to us to reach out to others and provide the resources and support they need so that they know they are not alone during a difficult time," Andrew said.

For more information on getting involved locally with AFSP, contact Tonia Howell at t.howell4afspmemphis@yahoo.com or 901.652.0312, or visit the AFSP website at www.afsp.org and follow the links to the Memphis support groups, annual Community 5K Walk, or the "Survivors Of Suicide (S.O.S.) Day" event in cooperation with the National S.O.S. Day of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The Mississippi RiverKings are supported by their community partners, season ticket holders, fans, and by program-related investments of the Maddox Foundation, an independent private foundation based in Hernando, Miss. To find out more about the RiverKings, call 662.342.1755 or visit www.riverkings.com.



Central Hockey League Stories from February 17, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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