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The Yellow Elephant to host "Be the Light Night" suicide awareness event

Moultrie Observer - 9/6/2022

Sep. 5—MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Yellow Elephant will host its fifth annual Be the Light Night event Friday to raise awareness about mental illness and suicide prevention.

The Yellow Elephant (TYE), a nonprofit founded by Michelle Cope, continuously works to raise awareness for suicide prevention and mental health in rural communities like Colquitt County.

Its mission is to educate, encourage, and support individuals dealing with depression, anxiety, mental illness, and related issues and their loved ones by creating safe environments where love, appreciation, knowledge, feelings, and thoughts can be freely shared without judgment, according to TYE website.

TYE expects to further its mission through the Be the Light Night event at the Downtown Moultrie Courthouse Square Amphitheater on Friday, Sept. 9, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

"What we hope to get out of [the event] is to spread more awareness and to lessen the stigma there is with suicide and what all comes along with it," Cope said in a phone interview Friday.

She added, "We just want to educate people to let them know that talking about it doesn't insinuate somebody's going to die by suicide."

Speakers Aundrea Hampton, Josie Parker and Ellie Bloodworth will share their stories of survival at the event, whether about their own attempt at suicide or about losing someone to it.

Cope asks guests to wear yellow attire to the event because it's the international color for suicide awareness.

"We want to be the light in the darkness," she said.

The event will conclude with an anonymous candlelight vigil for guests to memorialize their loved ones who died by suicide in our community. Guests will get a candle to participate in the vigil and an agenda as a keepsake.

Cope explained, "It's a respectful way of remembering those that we've lost."

There will also be resource tables and counseling tents located around the amphitheater for those who need services on site.

After the event, Cope says TYE will continue to spread awareness of mental health through postvention work in partnership with HEARTS for Families in Prevention.

TYE also sells elephant decals to help others start conversations about mental health and suicide.

To learn more about The Yellow Elephant, please visit www.theyellowelephant.org.

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