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For the first time in the history of CHS, softball hosted a suicide prevention event, bringing awareness to suicide and its effects. The Central Softball team decided to partner with and fundraise for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of The Darkness Community Walk by putting together this event. It took place on October 4, 2021, on the softball field. Families and friends showed support by wearing their suicide prevention shirts, which were sold by Beta Club members who also came out to help with the event.  

Varsity player, “Tommy Marriott”, was asked what influence she thought this event had on people who have gone through suicide. She states, “I would say it helped people to realize that there were others going through the same thing and that they weren’t alone in their situations.” 

The girls played against the Neelyville Tigers softball team.  Not only did the suicide prevention event, also referred to as the “Roaring from the Darkness to Break the Stigma” do this fundraiser to bring awareness, but the softball teams also did this to remember those who have lost their lives to suicide and to the grieving families who have lost a loved one to suicide. 

A junior varsity player, “Sahvanna Ank”, was asked if being on a team made her more motivated to participate in the community such as this event. She exclaimed, “Yes, because ever since we did it, it has brought the team closer together because a lot of my teammates have lost people to suicide.” 

Bringing up suicide can be a touchy subject, but doing events such as this can bring closure to victims and their loved ones.

 With this event, the softball team raised funds to support the “Out of The Darkness” movement. The team did things such as selling T-shirts and sold raffle tickets which include a 50/50 drawing and an opportunity to throw the first pitch at the game. Along with this event, the field had a special concession menu, including sugar cookies decorated as a softball. Memorials were displayed for the local families who have lost a loved one. The Softball team put in hard work and dedication to put together this event. Marriott states, “ It took us about three hours the day of but we prepared for it weeks in advanced.”  This event was even broadcast live by Redline Media Alliance. 

At the beginning of the suicide prevention event, guest speaker, Faune Riggin spoke about suicide and its effects. Riggin is the host of her own talk show, “Real Talk With Riggin” on KZIM. “I am a conservative news talk show host and a producer,” Riggin states. She is currently working on writing and publishing her own book. “I don’t travel too much anymore. You wonder if they’re even listening, but then you get letters about how you’ve changed their lives,” states Riggin. 

The audience was moved by Riggin’s words. When asked how Mariot feels about the speaker and what she was saying, she exclaimed, “I felt everything she said really helped to connect everybody and help people really understand why we had to hold this game to bring such awareness to the cause.”

 Although suicide can be a solemn subject, it is important to know facts about suicide and what leads up to it. Suicide is one of the top leading causes of death in the world. On average, one person dies by suicide every eight hours. It is the tenth leading cause of death in Missouri. Depression can lead to suicide as well. Being around others and getting the proper exercise and sleep can help reduce the rate of suicide. Varsity player Lamiyah Mackins states, “I feel we should do occasional checkups with our loved ones and show them that we are there for them and that they can talk to us about anything.” That has a higher chance of decreasing the rate of suicide.  Being direct with someone is always the best way to find out. 

Bringing awareness to this subject can feasibly reduce the rate of suicide. Mackins was asked if this event could possibly help those who are afraid to speak out about suicide. She proclaimed, “I feel this event will help those who are afraid to speak out because it shows them that we care and are here for them. It also shows that we are all willing to come together and fight for a topic as sensitive as suicide.” Putting together an event such as this can bring strong emotions to individuals. 

Riggin was questioned on what it was like to be a part of the “Roaring from the Darkness to Break the Stigma” event. She expressed, “With the experiences I’ve had in my life, I didn’t know how difficult that event would be. It was quite overwhelming and I felt the grief.”

 Coping with the feeling can be complex. Stopping for a moment and taking the time to think if it is the right thing to persist despite the pain you’re feeling is important for whatever action you are taking next. “You’re best days are truly yet to come,” proclaims Riggin. The event had a positive outcome and the softball girls are looking forward to future causes to support.