About Project Particles
On April 22nd, 2019, Ben Getchell took his life. He was 20 years old. This is a project organized by Ben's friend Emma in memory of him to raise awareness for suicide prevention and mental health advocacy. On this website, you can sign up to run/walk in memory of Ben or anyone else you know who has taken their life, you can find resources if you or anyone you know may need mental health support, and you can donate to two different charity options. These charities are below.
1). The Benjamin A. Getchell Music Scholarship which supports the music education of students at Shining Mountain Waldorf School in Boulder, Colorado, where Ben attended from preschool through senior year.
2). The Second Wind Fund in Denver, which provides youth at-risk of suicide the mental health treatment that they need.
Emma wrote a song in memory of Ben called "Particles," and you can listen to it here. She hopes that this project will help spread awareness about suicide prevention and intervention.
A brief background of suicide in Colorado:
According to a report by the United Health Foundation, Colorado has had the highest teen suicide rate in the country since 2016. That means that every one in five deaths of adolescents in Colorado is a suicide. These disturbing numbers can be attributed to a wide variety of things, such as depression, social isolation, bullying, abuse, and lack of access to therapy and other critical resources, to name a few. If at-risk individuals receive the support they need, this could save their lives. Numerous local and national organizations exist which provide resources such as suicide prevention lifelines, therapy, and support networks. Everyone can play a role in the prevention of suicide, wherever you live, by knowing how to help — or get help — for someone who is at-risk of suicide. You can find links to resources on this website.
