Tucson club's golf event focused on suicide prevention

“In the last several years, we have had two members of our club die by suicide, so this is a cause that is very close to our hearts. This has always been an important issue, but mental health afflictions have risen significantly as a result of COVID. When we looked around we were surprised to find that there are not any charity golf tournaments focused on mental health during Suicide Prevention Month,” said Kevin Volk, a commercial real estate agent at Volk Company and long-time member of the club.

The group decided to change that. They are partnering with the recently-rechartered Active 20-30 Club of Southern Arizona #1027 (the women’s group) to stage the First Annual Suicide Prevention Scramble on Sunday, Sept. 24 at Sewailo Golf Club at Casino Del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia Road.

Sponsors include Solari, the operating partner for 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Rolled out in 2022, the three-digit 988 phone number provides free and confidential counselors by voice, text or chat to anyone who is suicidal or experiencing emotional distress or a mental health crisis. The line is available 24 hours a day, 365 day a year.

Other event sponsors include Alumni of the Active 20-30 Club in honor of late members George Darling and Michael Gingras, whose names will appear on the trophy, the Darling-Gingras Cup.

In conjunction with the International Active 20-30 Club’s mission to support youth-oriented charities, the event will benefit the Ending the Silence program through NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Southern Arizona.

The initiative offers 50-minute presentations for middle school and high school students in schools, after-school programs, youth groups, and other locations. Facilitated by a trained team that includes a young adult living in recovery with a diagnosable mental health condition, the goal is to promote discussion, provide early intervention and educate students about mental health. Last year, the program reached 6,718 youth, according to Christina Bickelmann, Executive Director of NAMI Southern Arizona.

“We want to prevent suicide before it starts. The goal is to educate youth on speaking openly about the struggles they are facing at home, at school, and in their communities. If they are being abused at home — physically or sexually — or if they are being bullied at school, or if they are facing discrimination, we want them to feel safe expressing that before they take a drastic step like suicide,” said Trevor Cameron, owner of Arizona Medicare Helpers and chair of the upcoming tournament.

Bickelmann emphasized that Ending the Silence fills a vital niche as the only NAMI program for youth of that age group. She is grateful for the Active 20-30 Clubs shining a light on the program and rise in incidence of suicide.

“Events like this help bring awareness to our services. There is still a lot of stigma surrounding suicide, mental health conditions and mental illness. There are still cultural stigmas that don’t allow people to feel they can get help. We want people to realize it is much better to deal with it than ignore it. You can’t get help if you don’t talk about it,” Bickelmann said.