Cross Country Cyclist Visit ESU After Complete 7,000-Mile Journey To Raise Awareness For Suicide Prevention

Posted by: admin on September 27, 2012, No Comments

Soon after they complete their 7,000-mile cross country bicycle tour, Thomas Brown and Zachary Chipps will visit East Stroudsburg University to talk about their experiences and raise awareness about suicide on Tuesday, October 2 at 7:00 p.m. in the Keystone Room. Their program entitled, “It’s OKAY to Talk About It…Suicide, Healing and a Journey of Self-Reflection,” is a presentation of their seven month tour aimed at raising awareness about suicide and share the experience of dealing with the loss of a sibling to suicide. Their goal is to help individuals and families learn how to cope with emotional trauma, and how life experience can initiate change in one’s life.  These activists embarked on their tour across the United States in March and will end their trek on September 30. Their appearance at ESU will be their first on a college campus, just days after ending their bike tour. The event is open to the general public at no cost.

Brown and Chipps are excited to share their pilgrimage experience entitled “Revolution Inspired by Self Evolution (R.I.S.E.)” with ESU students and the community. Their story begins when they first met in Arizona, surprised to learn that they had both lost their brothers to suicide. The two then decided to make a pilgrimage across the United States. Brown is riding for his brother, Marc, and Zachary is riding for his brother, Sean. Their purpose? To share with others their very personal experiences related to the destructive impact caused by the suicide of a family member. Their inspirational journey began on March 1, 2012 at the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge, and is scheduled to end September 30, 2012 in Wappingers Falls, N.Y.

Throughout this momentous trek, covering 7,179 miles, they will visit 21 states and 110 cities, meeting with Survivors of Suicide (S.O.S.) groups, family members left behind after the suicide of a loved one, and other support groups. Using a real time blog, Brown has been filming the entire tour, providing a collective view of suicide and the ripple effect it can create in one’s life, family and community. He hopes to bring the conversation about depression and suicide to a wider audience. He also wants people to know that the effects of daily stress and pressures can lead to depression.

“We were inspired by ‘The Bridge,’ a documentary about those who have committed suicide by jumping off San Francisco’s famous landmark,” said Chipps.

“It is our intention to help provide a different bridge, a healing bridge that unites people and groups, letting them know that they are not alone,” said Brown.

“The stigma associated with depression and suicide can prevent a person seeking necessary treatment,” says Linda L. Van Meter, assistant professor and psychologist for ESU’s counseling and psychological services (CAPS) department. “It is important to offer programs to ESU students and the community to raise awareness about mental health issues, to reduce the stigma about mental illness, and to encourage people to seek treatment for emotional problems.” She notes that suicide affects every age group and is the second leading cause of death among college students with about 1,100 students lost to suicide each year.

During their visit to this area, East Stroudsburg Mayor Armand Martinelli will present Brown and Chipps with a proclamation declaring Tuesday, October 2, 2012, Suicide Awareness and Prevention Day in the community. The presentation will be held at the East Stroudsburg Borough Office on Analomink Street at noon.

A grant from the Mental Health Foundation funded the program. The foundation’s mission is to encourage, develop and support educational campaigns and other initiatives to improve understanding of mental illness and ensure access to quality care. The foundation is particularly concerned with reducing the stigma of mental illness and encouraging individuals to seek early diagnosis. The program is also sponsored by various ESU departments including: counseling and psychological services, the division of student affairs, the student activity association, university health services and the office of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

For more information about Brown and Chipps and their journey visit www.risephoenix.org. For more information about the program that will be presented at ESU, contact Van Meter at 570-422-3277 or lvanmeter@esu.edu.