Wallaceburg Red Devils Reach Out With Suicide Awareness Nights
Across Ontario, schools, groups, and organizations are working hard to do their part in the fight to educate teens and prevent teen suicide. Now, the Wallaceburg Red Devils, in partnership with the Sarnia Pacers, will be holding suicide awareness nights as the two teams face each other in the coming weeks. In the past years, both teams have been impacted by suicide, and they’re looking to raise money and awareness for the cause of suicide awareness.
“Late last summer we lost a fine young man whom he and his family were a huge part of both Sarnia Minor Lacrosse as well as Wallaceburg Minor Lacrosse,” said Wallaceburg Minor Lacrosse President Todd Shepley, “this touched many on both sides. I met with Jenn Matheson, President of Sarnia Minor Lacrosse and agreed we needed to do a better job of bringing awareness to our youth.”
The dates for these Suicide Awareness Nights will be Wednesday May 25th in Wallaceburg, and Wednesday June 1st in Sarnia. During the games, all players, coaches and executives will wear orange ribbons tied around their right arm, while orange pin ribbons will be available for sale at the front gates for spectators. All money raised will be donated to Chatham-Kent Mental Health on May 25th, and St. Clair Child and Youth on June 1st. Suicide Awareness soap will be on sale at the front entrance as well with all proceeds go to St Clair Child & Youth.
As well, a moment of silence will be held before the national anthem to remember those who we have lost family and friends to suicide, something that Shepley hopes these games will help prevent in the future,
“We need our youth to better understand there are outlets that they can utilize to help overcome the stresses of today. It’s also important for them to know their are agencies like our CK Mental Health system that want to help.”
At the May 25 game, the minor tyke teams from Wallaceburg and Sarnia will play an exhibition game during the first intermission. Similarly, June 1, the minor novice teams from Wallaceburg and Sarnia will play an exhibition game during the first intermission of the Red Devils versus Pacers games.
The education of support and awareness will begin with these young teams, and extend up to the Red Devils and Pacers teams themselves,
“We as parents, coaches, and as a community need to better recognize the signs to reach out to help,” said Todd Shepley, “so as youth organizations, the Red Devils and the Pacers wanted to give back to encourage our youth to better understand their options.”