AFSP Colorado Chapter Honored at the Chapter Leadership Conference in Denver

Suicide remains one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States. The nation’s largest suicide prevention organization, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), recently recognized the AFSP Colorado Chapter with several awards for 2019. 

• The AFSP Colorado Chapter’s 2019 Arapahoe High School Campus Walk was ranked #1 in the nation for AFSP Out of the Darkness Campus Walks, raising more than $77,000 and bringing together more than 1,200 participants. 

• The AFSP Colorado Chapter’s 2019 Denver Metro Community Walk was ranked #12 in the nation for AFSP Out of the Darkness Community Walks, raising more than $300,000 and bringing together nearly 4,500 participants. 

•  The AFSP Colorado Chapter also received the 2019 Outstanding Chapter Advocacy Program Award. In February 2019, the AFSP Colorado Chapter joined together with Mental Health Colorado, Suicide Prevention Coalition of Colorado (SPCC), and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Colorado to host Colorado’s 1^stAnnual Suicide Prevention Day at the Capitol. The event was a great success with a number of speakers, including Governor Jared Polis, talking about the public health crisis of suicide here in Colorado. The State of Colorado House of Representatives officially recognized February 26^th as Suicide Prevention Day.

 

The 2^nd Annual Suicide Prevention Day at the Capitol will be held on Feb. 26, 2020 

These awards were presented at AFSP’s annual Chapter Leadership Conference in Denver, Colorado on Jan. 25, 2020.

“Our nationwide network of Chapter leaders and volunteers are making a difference. They help to create a culture that’s smart about mental health, and bring more awareness to their local communities about suicide prevention,” said AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia. 

Nearly 400 volunteers from the AFSP chapters, representing all 50 states, attended the annual conference to learn how to bring to their communities a greater understanding and awareness of suicide prevention. During the annual conference awards ceremony, AFSP chapters were recognized for outstanding work over the past year. Speakers at the conference shared expertise about the science behind suicide prevention and volunteers shared what’s working for them in their communities in fighting this leading cause of death. 

“We are thrilled for AFSP Colorado Chapter to receive the Advocacy, Campus Walk and Community Walk awards,” said Gillian Kaag, president of the AFSP Colorado Chapter. “This past year’s accomplishments would not have been possible without the many amazing volunteers who support our chapter.”