Looking for something funand freeto do this weekend?
West Virginia University students are staging a concert from 5-8 p.m. Sunday (April 15) at Hazel Ruby-McQuain Riverfront Park Amphitheater.
The rain-or-shine event, dubbedSpring into HELP ,will feature live music by Old School Abbey and Mad Mardigan along with raffles for prizes from restaurants and other local businesses. Admission is free, and food vendors will have pizza and other items available for purchase.
The concert is being organized by WVU s Holding Every Life Precious (HELP) student organization, which will be selling T-shirts and passing out information about mental health issues and resources, in collaboration withDubVmenus.com.
The purpose of the event is to enjoy an evening out with great entertainment, while at the same time increasing awareness of mental health issues and sending the message that counseling is available and helpful, according to organizers.
There will be a speaker and commemorative candlelight ceremony at 7:30 p.m. to remember loved ones lost to suicide, HELP President Kelli Ellison said.
Ellison and her friends started HELP with the goal of ending the stigma associated with asking for psychological help. The student organization has distributed mental health information around campus, made several presentations to students and organized Suicide Prevention and Awareness Week activities in the fall. Proceeds from Sundays event will go toward future HELP activities.
We are an organization dedicated to awareness and education,Ellison said.We may not know how many people we have reached out to, but we know how important it is just to reach out and provide information to people that could truly make a difference in their lives.
She added,Mental health is just as important as physical health. We should not neglect our bodies or our minds.
HELP members urge WVU students and employees who are experiencing depression to seek help. Confidential counseling for WVU students is available through the Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services, 304-293-4431. Hours are from 8:15 a.m.-4:45 p.m. weekdays in the Student Services Building on the Downtown Campus.
The WVU Faculty and Staff Assistance Program is a free and confidential problem-solving resource for employees and their family members. For more information, call 304-293-5590.
WVU students interested in volunteering at Sundays event may be eligible to receive community service hours. To learn more, e-mail ellison.kelli@gmail.com or call 304-575-5502.