I just received an email from Hopeless Records about a tour that's starting up soon, the "Plea for Peace/Take Action" tour. The tour will run across the U.S. and a portion of the money from the ticket sales is being donated to The Kristin Brooks Hope Center/National Hopeline Network, to assist them in their work to help prevent suicide. There are a lot of good bands on the tour, and tickets are under $20. Please check it out at www.takeactiontour.com.
A bit about the charity from the website:
"The Kristin Brooks Hope Center provides free national access to suicide crisis counseling through the National Hopeline Network 1-800-SUICIDE. Help is provided through a network of local suicide prevention centers that are certified by the American Association of Suicidology. When those in crisis call the Hope Center's toll-free phone number, 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433), a sophisticated computer routes the call automatically to the closest participating center.
The National Hopeline has taken more than 250,000 calls since it was launched in 1998. Calls to the hotline are growing steadily -- from 300 a month early on, to an average of 500 every day in 2002.
Suicide claims the lives of 30,000 Americans a year -- about 5,000 of whom are young people. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15 and 24, and the second leading cause of death among college-age youth. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are about 100 suicide attempts for each suicide completed by a teen. This statement from the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher, sums up the magnitude of teen suicide in this country: "Suicide claims the lives of more teenagers and young adults than cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia and influenza and chronic lung disease combined."
One important goal of the Hope Center is to eliminate the stigma associated with mental health. We believe that more people might seek help before hopelessness takes hold. And if they knew about the Hope line, they would know where to turn for help.
Over the past thirty years the music industry has lost some great talent to suicide as well as drugs--a longer more drawn out form of suicide. The impact on the surviving musicians has led some bands to help raise awareness of the hotline and encourage those in need of help to call the Hopeline.
The Hope Center was founded in 1998 by H. Reese Butler II, who lost his wife to suicide that same year. Butler is executive director of the Hope Center."
A bit about the charity from the website:
"The Kristin Brooks Hope Center provides free national access to suicide crisis counseling through the National Hopeline Network 1-800-SUICIDE. Help is provided through a network of local suicide prevention centers that are certified by the American Association of Suicidology. When those in crisis call the Hope Center's toll-free phone number, 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433), a sophisticated computer routes the call automatically to the closest participating center.
The National Hopeline has taken more than 250,000 calls since it was launched in 1998. Calls to the hotline are growing steadily -- from 300 a month early on, to an average of 500 every day in 2002.
Suicide claims the lives of 30,000 Americans a year -- about 5,000 of whom are young people. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15 and 24, and the second leading cause of death among college-age youth. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are about 100 suicide attempts for each suicide completed by a teen. This statement from the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher, sums up the magnitude of teen suicide in this country: "Suicide claims the lives of more teenagers and young adults than cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia and influenza and chronic lung disease combined."
One important goal of the Hope Center is to eliminate the stigma associated with mental health. We believe that more people might seek help before hopelessness takes hold. And if they knew about the Hope line, they would know where to turn for help.
Over the past thirty years the music industry has lost some great talent to suicide as well as drugs--a longer more drawn out form of suicide. The impact on the surviving musicians has led some bands to help raise awareness of the hotline and encourage those in need of help to call the Hopeline.
The Hope Center was founded in 1998 by H. Reese Butler II, who lost his wife to suicide that same year. Butler is executive director of the Hope Center."