Thank you for sharing my memory of Paul

A big thank you to all of you who have donated and/or signed up to join me on September 25 for the Didi Hirsch annual suicide prevention Alive and Running 5K. 

Now that I'm on the 5K committee I was asked to set a fundraising goal. And at the outset I set my goal only at $500. But thanks to you I just upped it to $1000.00 and I'm only $48.00 short of reaching that because so many of you responded to my Ask. 


Just to give you a little background, I first discovered Didi Hirsch after Paul died. My husband and I participated in their eight-week Survivors after Suicide workshop. And as depressing as those sessions were, they had a lasting effect on me. I also found out that as horrific a story of  loss as mine was, it could always be worse. 


I also reconnected with a person I've known since grade school in Glencoe, IL through my involvement with Didi Hirsch. Stan Lelewer's son killed himself about six years before Paul, and when he heard about Paul through a mutual friend he was at our home comforting us within an hour. Stan's work at Didi Hirsch has been non-stop: a volunteer at its suicide prevention hotline, chair of the Board of Directors, and now a first responder with the police when a call comes in about a suicide. He also encouraged me to get involved, so of course, as soon as I was able, I joined in. I have found that one of the best ways to keep my son's memory alive is to volunteer in his behalf. 


Again, I hope you'll sign up or donate - you've got about a week left. Click here to visit my personal page. -- to sign up or donate. (If you sign up be sure to join Team Lelewer.) 

If you can't make it, please join me in spirit. And if you can join me, you'll easily find me in the crowd. Just look for this sign on my back.

In Memory of Paul