JU Suicide Prevention Week in full swing! Prizes to be awarded at Thursday’s costume contest

“Save the Day” is the theme for the second annual Jacksonville University Suicide Prevention Week, which got under way Monday, Sept. 9, and will run through Friday, Sept. 13.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, but with this week, Active Minds at JU is striving to help lower that statistic by showing that anyone can be a hero and save someone’s day.

Last year Dolphin Productions, JU’s student-run programming board, held the campus’s first Suicide Prevention Week festivities with the theme “Turn Up the Love.”

Events during the week include a superhero photo shoot, candlelight vigil, suicide prevention training, a letters to soldiers’ session, an open mic night, and a do-it-yourself superhero costume contest at 6 p.m. Thursday in Davis Student Commons near Chick-fil-A with the following prizes on the line (along with free JU swag donated by the JU Bookstore):

– 1st Place – $50 Visa gift card and bean chair

– 2nd Place – $25 Visa gift card and poster

Organizers also are working closely with the JU Student Counseling Center and will be promoting the center’s services throughout the week. Providing information at the Suicide Prevention Week activities are representatives of the Student Counseling Center, National Alliance on Mental Illness Jacksonville, Mental Health America of Northeast Florida and CNS Health Care, which seeks to improve health care through outpatient trials.

Organizers are hoping that supporters will follow Active Minds at JU on Twitter and promote Suicide Prevention Week by using the #savetheday hash tag.

Donations are being accepted to pay for supplies and, possibly, T-shirts. Last year, “Free Hugs” shirts were successfully handed out and are still worn throughout campus. The shirts help carry on a message of hope beyond just the week, organizers said. To get involved or to become a sponsor, contact Active Minds President Jairid Pacileo, a JU Sociology major, at jpacile@jacksonville.edu for more information.

Here’s where to get more information:

– Suicide Prevention Week Facebook page.

– Suicide Prevention Week donation page.

– Active Minds at JU Facebook page.

– You are never alone. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) 24/7 if you’re thinking about suicide.