SHERRARD, Ill. — The Sherrard FFA Chapter is holding The Mom Friend Project fundraiser Sunday, April 10, at Sherrard High School to raise awareness and funds for mental health support in the school district.
Students are also partnering with Rockridge's FFA chapter for the event. The two schools worked together for the past few months to set up games, raffle baskets, a silent auction, concessions and more.
The event was started three years ago after a Sherrard student died by suicide. Lily Kregle is the chapter's secretary, who says the event is in his honor.
"We didn't want to specifically use his name and directed towards him and he had this nickname called 'mom friend.' Because that was kind of him in the group, he was the 'mom friend,' so we decided to call it The Mom Friend project after him," Kregle said.
All the money raised at the event will go towards the two districts' mental health support options for students. Sherrard FFA Chapter president Briar Viager says its a way to let her peers know they're important and there are options of people looking to help you in a time of need.
"It's just going to be helping our counselors get the resources they need, and all those types of things so they can help us better ourselves," Viager said. "We just want to make sure that people know that they can get help."
For Kregle, it's a matter of bringing people together to address mental health concerns.
"No matter what we want you here in this world. We don't want you going anywhere. It's just a good thing to help spread awareness and raise money so we can help try and prevent it," Kregle said.
Makenzie Williams is the chapter's treasurer. She's excited to see the two schools come together for the event after so much effort has gone into it.
"In the past two years, we have raised a total of $4,500 to help with suicide prevention and awareness," Williams said. "Just let people know that there are resources out there for them."
According to the CDC, over half of the youth reported feeling disconnected from people at school during the pandemic. As that disconnection rate goes up, so do reported feelings of hopelessness and thoughts of suicide.
The event will take place at Sherrard High School from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Kregle said the event is one more way to remind people that mental health is important.
"If you need help, reach out to someone. There's numbers you can call, there's conferences to go to, trust your family, trust your friends, we just don't want to see you go," Kregle said.