This year was filled with new opportunities to support suicide prevention programs and advocate for mental healthcare. See below for a recap of all we did in 2021 to promote wellness, stop the stigma, and support organizations who, like us, are putting their best foot forward in the name of mental health.
INAUGURAL GOLF TOURNAMENT & LUNCHEON
On September 29th, we hosted our Inaugural Golf Tournament and Luncheon at The Club at Weston Hills. The event raised $55,000 for mental health advocacy and suicide prevention programming - more than we’ve ever raised in past years’ events! Tournament players and Luncheon guests were treated to an afternoon of food and drinks, silent auction prizes and awards. The Vilar-Hoynack team won 1st place in the Tournament while Tyler Gentilella won the Longest Drive and Rob Comora took home the prize for Closest to the Pin.
SPONSORED THERAPY
As part of our ongoing efforts to support mental healthcare, we are providing financial assistance to people who want and will benefit from therapy but would otherwise struggle with the high costs that typically come with it. Oftentimes therapy is not covered by insurance, and we would never want the cost to prevent someone from getting the help and care they need. If you or someone you know is in need of therapy and financial assistance, please reach out to us through our contact page.
aMERICA’S VETDOGS - SPONSORSHIP AND SUPPORTING THE “PAWS” LEGISLATION
In 2021, we contributed $7,500 to America’s Vet Dogs, sponsoring the meals for a new class of Veteran recipients as they meet and train with their new service dogs for two weeks. We also supported their efforts to push a new piece of legislation called PAWS (Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers) for Veterans Therapy Act, which as a result was signed into law this year and requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to open its service dog referral program to veterans with PTSD.
AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION - PROJECT 2025
We gave $5,000 to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to support Project 2025, their nationwide initiative to reduce the annual rate of suicide in the U.S. by 20% by 2025. They have identified four critical areas to save the most lives in the shortest amount of time: Firearms, Healthcare Systems, Emergency Departments and Correctional Facilities. By partnering with organizations in these four areas, we can achieve the shared goal of reducing the annual suicide rate 20% by 2025, making it the lowest it’s been in 30 years.
HENDERSON BEHAVIORAL MOBILE CRISIS UNIT (SOUTH FLORIDA)
We donated $2,500 to support the Henderson Behavioral Mobile Crisis Unit. Their South Florida-based response teams are available anytime for people experiencing an emotional crisis, providing on-site assessment, crisis intervention, counseling, referrals and follow up to promote crisis resolution and evaluation.
2-1-1 CRISIS CALL CENTER
This year we also sponsored the 2-1-1 Crisis Call Center giving $5,000 to staff their 24-hour, confidential helpline. The free service provides direction to available community resources, de-escalation in crisis situations, and assessment of current circumstances. 2-1-1 also has an app which provides additional information and resources.
Markham park CLEAN UPS & Bench RESTORATION
As many of you know, Markham Park was a special place to Dylan. He would mountain bike there, jet ski the canals, hang out with friends, and visit the park many times over the years. After he passed, we set up a dedicated bench for him within the park’s Butterfly Garden, and we work closely with the park to maintain the grounds by putting in butterfly-friendly plants, removing weeds and dead foliage, trimming overgrowth, laying new mulch and clearing out the mess. This year, Dylan’s section of the park required more attention as the wooden bench had endured 5+ years of being exposed to the elements. In May, we installed a new bench, engraved with his name, and celebrated the restoration with family, friends, and a champagne toast in his memory.
OTHER DONATIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH PARTNERSHIPS
In addition to these larger initiatives:
We contributed $2,500 to K9s for Warriors, an organization providing trained service dogs to Veterans helping mitigate the debilitating symptoms of service-connected traumas. Most of their dogs are rescued from shelters or surrendered by their owners, and our donation was specifically put toward rescuing more dogs to save them from abandonment or euthanasia, giving them purpose and a new lease on life.
We donated $1,000 to the Hope Outreach Center to support families in-need during the holidays so they can provide for their children and create happy memories.
We sponsored the YMCA Veteran’s Day Breakfast for Veterans, contributing $1,000.
We donated $1,000 to Feeding South Florida to help feed local families as they battled the pandemic.
Each year we put our time, effort and funds into programs helping people and communities in need - join us in 2022 as we continue our journey to #SpreadtheSunshine in memory of Dylan.
Love and Light,
The Schopp Family