SOLON — September is Suicide Prevention month, and in recognition of that and in remembrance of lives ended too soon, The Empire Fitness & Nutrition held a special event last Saturday. For a free will donation participants received an intense hour-long workout with the proceeds going to Foundation 2 Crisis Services.
In addition to the workout local businesses donated items for a silent auction and advocates for mental health and suicide prevention, such as OS-14, The Big O Foundation, were on-site. The Big O Foundation exists in honor of Liberty High School (North Liberty) student Owen Skelley who committed suicide and promotes awareness of mental health issues; particularly among the student-age populations. For more information go to htps://thebigofoundation.org/category/os14/. The Big O Foundation holds many events throughout the year including a Crosstown Baseball Classic, which was hosted by the Solon Spartans this past summer.
Foundation 2, located in Cedar Rapids, offers 24/7 crisis services by phone at 319-362-2174 or 988, by live chat at https://foundation2.org, or by text at 988.
“We did something a little bit smaller last year,” said Nikki Carney, owner of The Empire Fitness & Nutrition. “The more people I talked to, the more I realized this is a big issue, it’s very prevalent, it’s happening more and more so I think it’s very important to create awareness and let people know how to talk to people, and how to them that we love them. We’re living in a crazy, fast-paced world and we need to slow down and pay attention to the things that matter.”
The Empire Fitness & Nutrition held a special Saturday morning workout session Sept. 23 in recognition of Suicide Prevention month. For a free will donation, participants received an hour-long intense session with the proceeds going to Foundation 2 Crisis Services.