DANVILLE, Pa. — At Danville Area High School, students in one club live by the motto: Mind over matter. The club and the fundraising events put on by the students in the club are ways to honor the three Danville area students who have died by suicide in recent years, and an effort to make sure it does not happen again.
"I'm very passionate about mental health, myself. I was friends with the most recent student who took their own life last year, and it made a huge impact on my life and changed a lot of my school experience for our students at the school and the community," said sophomore Collin Geise.
The club is called Students Preserving Mental Health (SPM), and it was formed in 2021. Now 3 years later, there are more than 50 members. Kamryn Michaels is one of them.
"Left me kind of unsettled, and I feel like there was room for change, there's always room for change, and I think that being an advocate to fight against the stigma is really really important," she said.
The basketball game the students are planning for this weekend is the second annual. At last year's inaugural game, more than 1,000 people showed up, and the club raised thousands of dollars. That money was used to provide mental health resources for the rest of their classmates.
Megan Geise is the advisor of the club and says she could not be more proud to see the direction the club is going.
"It's really amazing, it's very heartwarming. I feel like we're doing something to impact our community, and I feel like we're really saving lives. The kids are being really vulnerable with their feelings," Geise said.
The game will be students vs. faculty. Last year, the students won by 3 with a buzzer-beater shot. This year, organizers say the halftime show will be a surprise, but it will send a powerful message.
"I'm looking forward to just having fun and sending a message to the community and letting everyone know that it's ok to not be ok and you're not alone," Michaels said.
The basketball game is this Saturday at 6 p.m. in the high school's gym. There will be concessions, basket raffles, and a 50/50 drawing. Tickets for adults are $5, and tickets for students are $3. Organizers say to get here early; doors open at 4:30 p.m.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 any time of day or night or chat online.