NAMI-Tallahassee invites you to the Inaugural Bluebird Run for Brookie B. A 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk for suicide awareness, prevention and postvention. The benefit will be held at J.R. Alford Greenway at the south end of Pedrick Road on Labor Day, Monday, September 7, 2015, (7:30 am, 5K Trail Run; 8:00am, 1M Fun Run/Walk). To participate, go to www.bluebirdrun.com.
In 2014, there were 17 homicides in Leon County. There were 29 suicides. In the six-county area comprising Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty and Wakulla counties, there were 22 homicides and 44 suicides. In 2014 for the state of Florida, there were over 11,000 discrete emergency room visits by citizens who had attempted suicide. Yet – we still don’t talk about suicide.
Brook Bowers ended her life on January 13, 2012. She was 31 years old and diagnosed with depression and borderline personality disorder. As we remember Brook and other families, we need YOUR help to educate our community about mental illness and suicide. Come run or walk with us. Can you volunteer to help our Bluebird Run be successful this year, and for years to come? Can you build a team? Can you promote the event to family, friends, and co-workers? Can you share our event on Facebook and Twitter?
NAMI Tallahassee along with founding partners, the Apalachee Center, Capital Regional Behavioral Health Center, Tallahassee Memorial Behavioral Health Center, Liebenhaut Law and the Tallahassee Democrat, are determined to begin a community conversation about suicide. Funds raised will also be used to bring suicide prevention and intervention trainings to our area plus what is known as “postvention” – that is, support for the grief-stricken survivors of suicide loss.