Motorcycle run to raise awareness and money for suicide prevention

CHESTER — Every 15 minutes, someone dies by suicide. On the heels of several local tragedies, people are taking action against these startling statistics by raising awareness and funds for suicide prevention. The “Here Comes the Sun” Bike/poker run kicks off at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 4, from GW’s Sport Grill, Chester Mall Shopping Center, 78 Brookside Ave., in Chester. Organized by the Poughkeepsie-based Hudson Valley Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the fourth annual bike run will help erase the stigma around mental health and suicide so that more people will seek help. This year’s event is critically important after two suicides and several other attempts at Monroe-Woodbury High School earlier this year, and Newburgh’s tragedy in April, when a mother drove her car into the Hudson River, killing herself and three of her children. The bike run is a two-hour scenic ride where participants are dealt poker cards. The rider with the best poker hand wins a cash prize. A party afterward will include a hot buffet and live music. “Here Comes the Sun 2011” is sponsored by GW’s Sports Grill, Goldstein Lieberman and Company, and Hudson Heritage Federal Credit Union. Registration is from 9 to 10:30 a.m. The donation is $25 per rider or event guest and $40 per couple. Bike clubs, individuals, and non riders are all welcome to attend. For more information call Maria Idoni, AFSP Hudson Valley Area Director, at 914-417-7993 or e-mail her at midoni@afsp.org. For additional information on suicide prevention initiatives go to www.afsp.org. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy.