Acclaimed Suicide Prevention Display Returns This Fall

Washington, D.C. – 18 months after pausing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Active Minds, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization promoting mental health awareness and education for young adults, is excited to announce its launch of the fall 2021 Send Silence Packing® Tour.  

For more than a decade, Send Silence Packing has traveled the country to end the silence that surrounds mental health and suicide. The display includes personal stories from individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide and is designed to raise awareness about the impact of suicide, connect individuals to mental health resources, and inspire action for suicide prevention.  

This year’s tour, spanning from Sept. 8 to Nov. 2, 2021, will cover over 30 stops in 15 cities and will feature two separate tour routes for the first time in the tour’s history.  Cities for the 2021 tour include, but are not limited to, Abington, Pa.; Philadelphia; Stony Brook, N.Y.; Detroit; Berea, Ohio; Cleveland; Ada, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Dekalb, Ill.; Whitewater, Wis.; Athens, Ohio; Bridgewater, Mass.; Cambridge, Mass.; Boston; Haymarket, Va.; Tulsa, Okla.; Stillwater, Okla; Clarksville, Ark.; Arlington, Texas; Woodlands, Texas; Huntsville, Texas; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Statesboro, Ga.; Savannah, Ga.; Valdosta, Ga.; Carrollton, Ga.; Auburn, Ala.; Charlotte, N.C.; Elon, N.C.; and Greensboro, N.C. 

“One of every five students lives with a mental health condition, but stigma and shame prevent many from reaching out for help. Send Silence Packing is a highly visible way to combat that stigma, increase openness, and inspire action for suicide prevention,” said Alison Malmon, founder and executive director of Active Minds. “And for more than a decade it has. The display is only growing and I’m excited that more people will be able to experience this life-changing event in person this season.” 

Thanks to generous support from Humble Bundle, Active Minds is, for the first time in the program’s history, sending two tours out on the road simultaneously this fall – doubling the reach of the tour and its suicide prevention resources. 

“Active Minds is making incredible progress on their mission to support mental health awareness and education for students and we could not be more excited to see our recent initiative at Humble Bundle directly result in such an important program,” said Kamini Tiwari, vice president of social impact, Humble Bundle. “We believe there’s an extraordinary opportunity to do good through gaming and we’re proud of the incredible and passionate community at Humble that has rallied behind Active Minds’ cause to help make the Send Silence Packing tour possible.” 

Since its inaugural display on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in 2008, Send Silence Packing has reached over a million visitors and counting with messages of hope and help. Evaluation data attests to the display’s impact – most visitors leave wanting to learn more about mental health and the majority tell three or more people about the display and may reach out to a friend in need or seek help for themselves as a result of experiencing it. 

To address changing needs due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Active Minds launched a new companion display designed to complement the in-person program – Send Silence Packing: Behind the Backpacks. This virtual, immersive experience gives users an in-depth look at the impact of suicide through personal stories, stigma reduction techniques, and interactive components such as videos, photos, and audio. Visitors to Send Silence Packing will have a chance to learn more about Behind the Backpacks and easily share this program with friends, family, and their communities. 

Send Silence Packing: Behind the Backpacks was made possible by a generous donation from the RSM US Foundation.

More information about Send Silence Packing, including specific 2021 tour stop locations, or information about Behind the Backpacks can be found at activeminds.org/sendsilencepacking

About Active Minds: Active Minds is the nation’s premier nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education for young adults. Active Minds has a presence at more than 800 campuses, schools, communities, and workplaces nationwide, and is powered by a robust Chapter Network, the nationally acclaimed Send Silence Packing® display, inspiring Active Minds Speakers, and our tailored Active Minds @Work initiative. The organization is dedicated to ending the silence and changing the conversation about mental health for everyone. To learn more, visit www.activeminds.org

 

Media contact: Amanda Horn, Active Minds
amandahorn@activeminds.org, 202-332-9595 X103