Perri Jones, Captain, Team Andrew
Please join Team Andrew for the third annual fundraising walk for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), which will be held in Quail Creek on Saturday, March 28, with staging at 9 a.m. This event is open to the public, and walkers and non-walkers are welcome. The walk is a very casual walk between stop signs and back. (Please, no dogs at this time.) There will be raffle prizes—all donated by friends and local businesses—and a 50/50 drawing at the conclusion of the walk. The team website is supporting.afsp.org/campaigns/Team-Andrew-Quail-Creek-OOTD-Fundraiser. Please contact Perri Jones at 916-207-1346 or perri@cwo.com for more information.
My son died in Scotland while pursuing his PhD in philosophy. He was 25 years old. Andrew had a great love of all sports and loved to run 5Ks, always trying to better his time. He loved reading, researching, and writing. He also loved different genres of books and movies and always made time to sit down to work on a jigsaw puzzle or play a game with family.
So, how do you process that your son is no longer alive? Now what do I do? I knew I needed to do all I could to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention. In 2018 in Sacramento, I found the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Team Andrew was created.
Team Andrew raised just under $15,000 in three Out of the Darkness (OOTD) fundraising walks for the Sacramento chapter.
When I moved to Green Valley in 2021, I knew I had to look for another AFSP suicide prevention fundraising walk. I continue to feel that I must do all that I can to raise awareness of mental/brain health and suicide prevention to bring the conversation “Out of the Darkness.”
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death overall in the U.S., claiming the lives of more than 49,300 people.
Suicide was the second leading cause of death between the ages of 10 and 34 and fourth between the ages of 35 to 44. When a person “dies by suicide” (new language), the effects are felt by family, friends, and communities.
The inaugural Team Andrew Quail Creek OOTD Fundraising Walk was in April of 2024, and the goal was to raise $2,500. Team Andrew raised $3,850. Last year, our goal was $3,000, and I am thrilled that Team Andrew raised a whopping $6,089 benefiting the chapter of AFSP Southern Arizona! To date, Team Andrew has raised over $22,000 for the Southern Arizona chapter! Go Team Andrew!
Please join me and Team Andrew on Saturday, March 28. I hope to see you there! Proceeds of this event benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.