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July 2024
NEWFOUNDLAKELIFE.COM
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Community
dialogue with friends and family about mental health.
“Sharing stories, opening up the conversation, and talking about why you care all provide pathways to decrease the stigma around mental health,” Patty concluded.
If you’re interested in riding, it’s important to register early! You can register through their website at https://www.high- sandlowstour.com/. More in- formation about the Highs and Lows Tour can be found on their website as well.
Get ready for an amazing day on August 10th!
gles, which can lead to more neg- ative feelings. “We want to give people a platform to talk and connect,” Dearborn stated.
And, of course, The Highs and Lows Tour brings people together in a way that sheds a positive light on the power of collaboration. “The whole day is so much fun,” Tom said. “Old friends, new friends, commu- nity members, and more come together over something with a profound meaning. I really feel like I’ve seen some healing start to happen.”
“I’ve been blown away with how amazing the collaboration has been,” Dearborn continued. “Once we tell people what we’re doing, they’re usually inclined to help us out.” Dearborn even re- counted a story where he told his son that Tom himself could walk into a particular bike and ski shop and get a free bike. Tom’s son didn’t believe he could, but as soon as Tom walked in and chatted with the owner about their mission, he certainly did walk out with a free bike. The owner generously gave him one to raffle off at the event.
The collaboration is a com- bination of a class reunion and a family reunion with outside sponsors and volunteers. Since the team members all come from different professional back- grounds, the different skills that are brought to the table to help make this event a reality drive it forward. Team members can call on their professional contacts to help with this event, making it a web of people wanting to be involved.
This event has also been signif- icant to Robert as well. In 1977, Robert lost his mother to suicide, so with the message that the Highs and Lows Tour was trying to spread to people, it was a no- brainer for Rob to be involved. “This has been an opening for me,” Cass said. “It has been wildly healing and cathartic, and I feel overwhelmed with love.”
Robert knows that the purpose of the tour is what he was meant for. He said, “This is where I’m supposed to be. The Highs and Lows Tour epitomizes who I am. It’s a clarifying spot in my head.”
“The best part about this is that I get to be in a place that I love, with the people I love, and we get to convert that into giv-
ing back and giving a big check to NAMI. The experience has provided healing for not only me but others as well.” The PRHS alums have worked hard to put on this event, and working to- gether has been an overall pos- itive experience. “You know, our graduating class at Plymouth was only about 125 kids, so it re- ally is a family,” Cass also stated.
Patty Marsden, Spiritual Ad- visor, DE&I Advisor, and NAMI Board Member, came in earlier to the Highs and Lows team as well with the goal of raising awareness of mental illness and suicide prevention. “I’m really looking forward to the beautiful day of beautiful people coming together to share the love and positive energy. The story sharing
is what really sticks with me, like why the riders choose to ride and their purpose,” Marsden said.
Like Tom and Robert, Patty also feels like the whole event is like a class reunion. “It’s a re- union of old friends with the same purpose. We’ve lost class- mates, friends, and family mem- bers to suicide, so this event means a lot to us.” She contin- ued, “Hearing the difficult sto- ries of people I have known my entire life is eye-opening.”
Patty is a pastor at a church with similar values, so she is no stranger to advocating for making those connections and letting peo- ple know that they are not alone.
“I’m passionate about this, and I want to see a decrease in the stigma in my lifetime,” Patty stated.
“It’s what we do. It’s what we’re born to do, and I’m glad I’m able to contribute to the healing of my trauma to other people in a natural way. It aligns with my purpose”, Rob said.
“We want to provide an av- enue and a community for ev- eryone in need. We want them to know that they are not alone,” Tom said.
There are many ways that the Newfound Community can be involved in the Highs and Lows Tour. You can sponsor, volun- teer, or ride with them, attend the post-community event, do- nate on their website, connect with them on social media, and, most importantly, open up the
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