ELKHORN, Neb. (KMTV) — Seventh-graders Alayna Beaton and Kaylee Brandt are young, but already know the importance of appreciating life to its fullest. They are using their neighborhood sidewalk as a way to send that message.
"We did a bunch of sayings saying like 'you're important' and 'you're strong and powerful,'" Beaton said.
The Kim Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to mental health and suicide prevention. This is its second year of doing an event called "Chalk it Up for More Tomorrows."
So far, there have been more than 7,000 requests for chalk. No matter our talent or creative ability, each of us can play a role in saying this: "We need you."
"We never know how much it's going to impact someone just by simply saying you're not alone; just to see a bit of sunshine and something more positive when they're feeling really down," said The Kim Foundation Executive Director Julia Hebenstreit.
Hebenstreit hopes this brings awareness to suicide prevention beyond the month of September.
"There's people struggling out there in our community at all times. There's no specific demographic, you know, there's a variety of risk factors that contribute to suicide. Mental health is one of the biggest ones," Hebenstreit said.
All of us have a limited number of trips around the sun, but if you are in a place of darkness Beaton wants you to remember this: "Even if there's bad things, there's always things you need to live for. And there's still good things and people do still love you."
If you want to be part of this, share your work on social media. To get prizes, use the hashtag #ChalkItUpForMTNE or send a photo to info@thekimfoundation.org.
Cheer Athletics is also participating in this event.
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