CONTACT:
Tom Brock
Director of Marketing and Communications
SAVE - Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
952-946-7998 ext. 15
tbrock@save.org
www.save.org
Suicide Attempt Survivor Kevin Hines Appears in Minneapolis - St. Paul Area This Week
Nationally Recognized Speaker Featured in Documentary Film “The Bridge,” Will Share His Story at Public Event.
(Minneapolis – October 22, 2007) – Kevin Hines, who survived a suicide attempt off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA. and was featured in the critically acclaimed documentary “The Bridge,” will appear at Suicide Prevention Depression Awareness Community Night event on Wednesday, October 24, 6:30-8 p.m. at the Roseville Skating Center.
Presented by Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) and Roseville Area Schools, the free event offers parents and families throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul the chance to learn more about the warning signs of suicide and depression and to discover the resources that are available in preventing suicide.
SAVE is a national, non profit organization based in Minnesota whose mission is to prevent suicide through public awareness and education, reduce the stigma associated with depression and serve as a resource to those touched by suicide.
The Community Night event features Kevin Hines, who in 2000 during his freshman year of college, attempted to take his own life by jumping off of the Golden Gate Bridge. He is one of only 29 people to have survived that jump. Kevin has since learned to deal with mental illness in a healthy way, and through speaking out, is providing a positive example to hundreds of thousands of young people and their families dealing with all types of mental health issues.
During the past 5 years Hines has spoken to over 150,000 people about his experiences and reached millions in media interviews. He has also appeared in People, Time, and Newsweek magazines and shared his story on Larry King Live, Prime Time, Anderson Cooper 360, 20/20, and many other national news programs.
Hines will be joined by Dr. Dan Reidenberg, executive director of SAVE, who is nationally recognized as an expert in the field of suicide prevention.
The Community Night event is a part of a week-long series of appearances by Hines and Reidenberg, which includes several visits to area public schools and culminates with Soup It Up, a public event on Thursday, October 25 at Midland Hills Country Club in Roseville. The purpose of the events is to educate students and families to the dangers of suicide, a public health crisis that is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, with one suicide occurring on average every 16 minutes. Suicide is also the 3rd leading cause of death among 10-24 year olds and the second leading cause of death for 25-34 year olds.
SAVE is committed to the education of the general public about the depressive brain diseases (such as clinical depression and bipolar illness) that can result in suicide if left untreated. By educating the general public about such brain diseases, SAVE strives to remove the stigma associated with these diseases. SAVE’s prevention and education programs include a school-based program educating staff, parents and students, community and professional presentation through a volunteer speaker’s bureau, professional conference presentations and exhibitions, educational materials distributed internationally, national multi-media public service advertising campaign and community action kits.
# # #
For more information on this event or to schedule an interview with Kevin Hines or Dr. Dan Reidenberg, contact Tom Brock, director of marketing and communications, at 952-946-7998 ext. 15 or tbrock@save.org.
For more information on SAVE, go to www.save.org or call 952-946-7998.
For more information on Soup it Up, go to www.soupitup.org