In Honor & Loving Memory of Baily Leal
The 4th Annual Yoga for a Cause! Yogathon for H.O.P.E. is a reminder that there is plenty to be thankful, happy, and optimistic about. On Saturday, March 18th from 11:00am – 3:00 pm, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School will host the 4th annual Yogathon to benefit H.O.P.E. (Helping Overcome Problems Effectively) part of the Florida Initiative for Suicide Prevention (F.I.S.P.) a Suicide Prevention Educational Program. Cost is $20 per person, but Douglas High School students can attend for free.
More than a fundraiser, Yogathon For H.O.P.E. is a community-building event and the initiative of the F.I.S.P. to raise awareness about suicide prevention, mental health issues specific to children and teens, and offering support programs and solutions.
The Yogathon was initiated by Pamela Leal, a popular yoga instructor in Palm Beach and Broward counties, as a way to lovingly honor the memory of her daughter Bailey who committed suicide in May of 2013. Pamela, who will be teaching the 75 minute Yoga class, says, ” the momentum we’re generating, as we prepare for our 4th Yogathon, is bringing a greater awareness about Suicide. This awareness is something that needs to continue to be raised and talked about in every classroom and at every dinner table to create a better understanding of the problem. The stigma around this illness needs to be brought down.” Multiple guest speakers will be presenting both before and after Pam’s yoga class.
This cause reaches far beyond our community. According to the Center for Disease Control, (CDC) “There were 41,149 in 2013 in the United States last year, a rate of 12.6 per 100,000 and equal to 113 suicides each day or one every 13 minutes.”
The local yoga community that can be found in https://www.hotyogaofeastnashville.com/ site is wholeheartedly supporting the Yogathon for H.O.P.E. “Together we seek to share the healing elements of yoga that bring peace and develop strength,” says Leal, “which are two important skills that help people cope in life.”
Hundreds of participants have attended the past two Yogathons to raise funds for the not-for-profit organization, H.O.P.E. Club, a student driven program that meets regularly at various high schools. H.O.P.E. gives students a forum to collaboratively help one another to find support and coping solutions for issues plaguing young people today.
The Yogathon continues to be a good source for building a nurturing, united community and to honor Bailey’s legacy.
We believe that yoga is more about touching your heart than touching your toes. Yoga enthusiasts of all levels, from beginners to advanced, are invited to engage their minds and bodies to help educate people about Suicide Prevention.
F.I.S.P. and H.O.P.E. are changing lives every day though their programs and by empowering people with the tools, knowledge, skills and confidence they need to find hope, support and alternatives for a better future for themselves, their families, their communities and the world.
Please bring cash to pay at the door – $20 adults, Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) Students can attend for free. Proceeds will benefit the MSD HOPE Club.
