Stage is set for hockey game dedicated to youth mental health
On Feb. 6, the Guelph Gryphons men’s hockey team will play host to a night dedicated to youth mental health awareness. For one night only, the Gryphons will hold purple close to their hearts despite facing off against the Laurier Golden Hawks in the final game of the regular season. The night will have special guest Michael Landsberg, from TSN’s Off the Record and a #SickNotWeak advocate, for a pre-game ceremony and an intermission feature.
The Gryphons D.I.F.D. Night is dedicated to the non-profit organization ‘Do It For Daron.’ But who is Daron?
Daron Richardson, the daughter of former National Hockey League player and now American Hockey League head coach Luke Richardson, committed suicide when she was just 14-years-old. Most remember seeing this story on Hockey Night In Canada days after it happened, or more recently on TSN’s special feature, “Purple Hearts.” No matter where it was seen however, the remarkable growth of D.I.F.D. is one that can bring even the toughest to tears.
The colour purple and the now-prominent purple heart originally began as a motivational force for Daron’s teammates – a way to remind themselves to play the game for the lost, irreplaceable part of their team. That purple heart quickly turned into something nobody could have imagined – a symbol for a youth driven movement determined to rid the stigma surrounding mental health and begin to inspire conversations. D.I.F.D., in what seemed like no time at all, became the voice that youth needed.
With Richardson and his wife, Stephanie, as the backbone of the movement, they are sure to never forget where D.I.F.D. gets its undeniable strength: youth for youth. Events started and continue to happen with the young people of today as the driving force, all with the intention of “Inspiring Conversations, Raising Awareness, and Transforming Youth Mental Health” – the motto of D.I.F.D.
A generation often criticized for laziness and lack of motivation for anything but texting and “the Twitter,” D.I.F.D. is certainly something that makes anyone take notice. Youth have delved into this movement, determined to help the cause and lend their voice to others who may be in need. A young population, often silenced for lack of life experience or cultured knowledge, is now listening to each other and making the decision to speak together; to be as loud as they can be to ensure the safety and health of their peers everywhere. “We had to let the youth know that they had a voice,” Caitlyn McLaren, a teammate of Daron’s, explained on TSN’s feature, “Purple Hearts.” “They could talk to anyone, whether it be their parents or sister, or friend or even a counselor, a teacher – anyone. They needed to know that they could talk, and that leaving this world is not the answer.”
As D.I.F.D. grew, Daron became more of a symbol of youth as a whole than an individual who had taken her own life – a symbol that represents strength and togetherness through the incredible network of the young people of today.
With suicide as the second leading cause of death for the 15 to 24 year old age group, it is no wonder that the youth of today are fighting for each other’s overall wellbeing. The Toronto District School Board reported 700 suicide attempts last year alone, with the added startling statistic that a suicide attempt happens every three seconds. Change and awareness is a necessity.
Your Guelph Gryphons have chosen to stand with the movement and think purple for a night. The Gryphons D.I.F.D. Night will donate one dollar from every ticket sold, in addition to any profits made from merchandise and the special raffle that will take place during the game.
Outside of dollar signs, be sure to stand with your fellow Gryphons – stand with them in an effort to rid mental illness of its stigma and to support anyone who might be suffering in silence. D.I.F.D. will never bring Daron Richardson back, or anyone else who has left us too soon, but it can turn the light on for so many suffering alone in the dark. To give them that fighting chance, they need your voice. That’s what D.I.F.D. is all about.
It’s your turn to turn on the light. It’s your turn to stand. Join your Guelph Gryphons in putting a stop to the stigma.