Anti-suicide foundation plans fundraiser

DOWNEY - The Sean Vernon Feliciano Amazing Day Foundation will kick off its 2011 fundraising activities with a 5-mile run at UC Santa Barbara, on March 5.The five-mile run has been named The Shamrock 5 Miler in Memory of Sean Vernon Feliciano and is co-sponsored by UCSB's Alumni Association and the Amazing Day Foundation. Sean Feliciano was a junior at UCSB when he ended his life two years ago. The reason the foundation decided to co-sponsor The Shamrock Run is because green was Sean's favorite color, and the date will commemorate the second anniversary of his death. Part of the event will include the "Sean Vernon Feliciano Greek Challenge." The Greek fraternities and sororities will compete for the first annual challenge during the event. Each year after, the name of the winning team from the Greek community will be added to a perpetual trophy. The universities alumni association will disperse the funds raised from the run. A portion will be donated to the Student Health Services Greek Intern Program to help students cope with the stresses of college life. The intern program is sponsored by the foundation, and the funds will be donated in honor of the Amazing Day Foundation. In addition to the run, Bob Feliciano, president of the Amazing Day Foundation and Sean's dad, will be doing a presentation during the Sigma Pi sponsored Mental Health Workshop for the Greek Community. The event is a training program for students at UCSB and Bob Feliciano's presentation will share a little on Sean's life, and how the death of a young man like Sean impacts so many family members, friends and others in a community. The goal of the foundation is to create awareness among the public that suicide is the second cause of death to college students, and that this "silent epidemic" can be stopped with awareness, research and love. The foundation's second major fundraising event, the 2nd Annual Amazing Day Walk for Life, will be held on Sept. 10, 2011, at Stonewood Center. For more information regarding the foundation, visit amazingdayfoundation.org.

********** Published: February 24, 2011 - Volume 9 - Issue 45