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Eliza (right) with friends Laura and Kara after running the Gold Coast Half Marathon for ReachOut.com[/caption]
Eliza Kerr, a 25-year-old Sydney local, raised an incredible $5417 for ReachOut.com in the recent Gold Coast Airport Half-Marathon.
When Eliza’s high school friend Ben Azzopardi died by suicide in March this year, she and her high school friends wanted to do something positive about it.
“I wanted to turn this tragedy into something that could help other people,” said Eliza.
Eliza chose to raise funds for ReachOut.com because of its focus on young people's mental health.
“At school I didn't know about anything like ReachOut.com. We didn't talk about mental health."
“Mental health difficulties are becoming more common, especially in young men. They're not as open with their feelings as girls are."
Eliza took her fundraising to the streets, cafes, friends and colleagues, and discovered her community couldn’t turn away a chocolate frog for a good cause.
“I bought 19 boxes of Freddos and Caramello Koalas! My family, workmates, friends and even people on the street bought them. I stuck labels with a mental health fact from ReachOut.com on each one, and said if you want to donate go to my fundraising website.”
“One guy saw me selling near a cafe and didn’t want a chocolate but he went on to donate $100 online!”
This is just one of the many heartwarming responses Eliza received from her community.
“When I told people my story, they were completely supportive. They said they didn't want to see their son or daughter in the same position.
“Two guys who I’ve known for years messaged me on Facebook to say they were really impressed by my fundraising. They admitted to suffering depression.
“These are big guys who don't talk about things. But they told me they now feel more comfortable to talk about it. They even asked me what they could to help me raise money."
Eliza’s efforts didn’t just raise funds for ReachOut.com - they also raised awareness of mental health issues.
“If more people are comfortable to be talking about their feelings and opening up, then it's going to make it a lot easier to seek support. Then they're not going to do what Azza did and others have when they feel they've got nothing left.”
Eliza raised $5417, making it possible for over 2500 young people a year to get help for tough times from ReachOut.com, where and when they need it.
We're incredibly grateful to our supporters who not only commit to personal athletic challenges, but also raise money and awareness that boost ReachOut.com's impact on young people's mental health.
On Sunday, nearly 30 people like Eliza will run the Sydney City2Surf in support of ReachOut.com. Please click here to donate $25 to help them achieve their goals.
Eliza (right) with friends Laura and Kara after running the Gold Coast Half Marathon for ReachOut.com[/caption]Eliza Kerr, a 25-year-old Sydney local, raised an incredible $5417 for ReachOut.com in the recent Gold Coast Airport Half-Marathon.
When Eliza’s high school friend Ben Azzopardi died by suicide in March this year, she and her high school friends wanted to do something positive about it.
“I wanted to turn this tragedy into something that could help other people,” said Eliza.
Eliza chose to raise funds for ReachOut.com because of its focus on young people's mental health.
“At school I didn't know about anything like ReachOut.com. We didn't talk about mental health."
“Mental health difficulties are becoming more common, especially in young men. They're not as open with their feelings as girls are."
Eliza took her fundraising to the streets, cafes, friends and colleagues, and discovered her community couldn’t turn away a chocolate frog for a good cause.
“I bought 19 boxes of Freddos and Caramello Koalas! My family, workmates, friends and even people on the street bought them. I stuck labels with a mental health fact from ReachOut.com on each one, and said if you want to donate go to my fundraising website.”
“One guy saw me selling near a cafe and didn’t want a chocolate but he went on to donate $100 online!”
This is just one of the many heartwarming responses Eliza received from her community.
“When I told people my story, they were completely supportive. They said they didn't want to see their son or daughter in the same position.
“Two guys who I’ve known for years messaged me on Facebook to say they were really impressed by my fundraising. They admitted to suffering depression.
“These are big guys who don't talk about things. But they told me they now feel more comfortable to talk about it. They even asked me what they could to help me raise money."
Eliza’s efforts didn’t just raise funds for ReachOut.com - they also raised awareness of mental health issues.
“If more people are comfortable to be talking about their feelings and opening up, then it's going to make it a lot easier to seek support. Then they're not going to do what Azza did and others have when they feel they've got nothing left.”
Eliza raised $5417, making it possible for over 2500 young people a year to get help for tough times from ReachOut.com, where and when they need it.
We're incredibly grateful to our supporters who not only commit to personal athletic challenges, but also raise money and awareness that boost ReachOut.com's impact on young people's mental health.
On Sunday, nearly 30 people like Eliza will run the Sydney City2Surf in support of ReachOut.com. Please click here to donate $25 to help them achieve their goals.
