DETROIT — For the second year in a row, the Detroit women’s lacrosse team will be participating in the LAX-4-LIFE Awareness Day, an annual event to raise awareness for suicide prevention.
To help raise awareness for this cause, the Titans will warm up in LAX-4-LIFE blue t-shirts on Sunday prior to their contest against Longwood at 1:00 p.m. The team will also have a donation bin at the game for all of those who can make a contribution to this national campaign to support programs geared toward adolescent and young adult suicide prevention awareness.
LAX-4-LIFE was started in the spring of 2009 by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. The idea was to tackle an issue college coaches, teams and communities deal with every day – adolescent suicide and life after suicide. During the 2009 season, 10 teams across the state of Pennsylvania participated in games and raised funds for the Allyson Rose Green Memorial Foundation (www.allysonsfund.org); a foundation started after the younger sister of a West Chester University player committed suicide at the age of 16. As a result LAX-4-LIFE was born.
Green passed away on Sept. 15, 2006 after six days in a coma from cardiac arrest caused by suicide. Green’s parents started the Lax4Life Foundation to encourage and support research and programs designed to prevent adolescent suicide. Their focus is on better awareness in secondary schools.
In 2011, LAX-4-LIFE games took place in Division I, Division II and Division III, during the last week of March and the first week of April. In addition, LAX-4-LIFE was joined by high school games in Cold Spring Harbor, NY, Central Dauphin, PA, and Brighton, MI.LAX-4-LIFE was at the IWLCA Capitol Cup and made its first appearance at the US Lacrosse Convention in January 2012.
The goal of the non-profit is to:
*Raise awareness for suicide prevention
*Erase the stigma associated with suicide and depression
*Educate parents, coaches, students, and the community about warning signs and issues associated with suicide
*Understanding & assisting students with the pressures of life in high school & college
*Provide resources & outlets for those dealing with depression, bullying or suicidal thoughts
*Help aid those left behind after a suicide
For more information on LAX-4-LIFE, click here.
