Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon
Triple-A Affiliate
The Official Site of the Rochester Red Wings Rochester Red Wings

Wings of Hope event Aug. 10

Third annual suicide awareness initiative
August 6, 2019

Rochester Community Baseball and The Villa of Hope present "Wings of Hope" to raise awareness of suicide risk factors, suicide prevention and community resources for treatment at the Saturday, August 10 home game.

Rochester Community Baseball and The Villa of Hope present "Wings of Hope" to raise awareness of suicide risk factors, suicide prevention and community resources for treatment at the Saturday, August 10 home game.

The game features the ZOOperstars! entertainers, Milo The Bat Dog, and fireworks after the game.Click here for more information on saturday's promotions.
The game will also feature relevant resource information tables staffed by Villa of Hope, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and other area resources.
Suicide Awareness Facts, provided by The Villa of Hope:

  • Did you know … suicide is the second leading cause of death among 12 to 18 year olds.
  • Did you know … approximately one out of every 15 high school students reports attempting suicide each year.
  • Did you know … one out of every 53 high school students reports having made a suicide attempt that was serious enough to be treated by a doctor or a nurse.
  • Did you know … for each suicide death among young people, there may be as many as 100 to 200 suicide attempts.
  • Did you know … every day, across our nation, more than 5000 young people in grades 7 through 12 attempt suicide.
  • Teen suicide … you can help. Visit villaofhope.org, call 585-328-0834 or email [email protected] to schedule time in the Villa outpatient Mental Health Clinic.
  • For information and resources on suicide awareness and prevention, stop by the Villa of Hope table at the game on August 10.

Event Background
The event began in 2017 with help from former Red Wings pitcher Jason Wheeler, who personally knows the effect suicide has on a family, "Mental illness and suicide have personally affected me and my family. We lost my 16 year-old brother-in-law Jeremy in the fall of 2016. Since this tragedy, we have been astonished at not only how common mental illness and suicide are, but also how unable we are as a society to speak about them because of the strong stigma associated with these issues. As a family, we are working towards eliminating stigma surrounding suicide, and changing the perception in our communities that mental illness is different from any other illness.

About Villa of Hope
Through a network of high quality programs and services, Villa of Hope specializes in helping at-risk youth overcome emotional and behavioral challenges and build lifelong strengths. The Villa's community-based, residential and educational programs address mental health needs, substance use disorders, trauma-informed, trauma-responsive care, and life-skills development. We serve youth, individuals, and families.
Website: Villa of Hope.org
About Sharing Kindness
Sharing Kindness is a newly-formed non-profit, started by the Walters family after the death by suicide of their 16 year old son Jeremy, in October of 2016. It is dedicated to overcoming the stigma surrounding mental illness, depression and suicide. Sharing Kindness is about having the courage and compassion to start and sustain the conversation in our communities about these issues that have traditionally been so difficult to talk about. We are currently developing and helping fund various awareness and education programs in the lower and outer towns of Cape Cod, MA, an area plagued with higher than average rates of suicide, with special focus on our schools.
Website: Sharing Kindness.org