1/1/20
It is a new year. I am so grateful to everyone who has supported us in so many ways during this past year. Your cards, texts, phone calls, messages, and prayers mean so much to us and always lift us up. Thank you for loving on our family so generously. Your financial support of The Carrie Cotter Memorial Fund, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness also mean a lot to us as we do what we can to reduce the suicide rate and improve mental healthcare. As people set goals and resolutions for the new year, I’d like to give you an update on what we (the Carrying On community) accomplished in 2019. Carrying On raised more than $60,000 for better mental healthcare and suicide prevention in 2019 and I’m so amazed and grateful for You. (Details are below because it got so long and not everyone appreciates numbers like I do🤷🏼‍♀️, but if you like numbers check it out.) Thank you for your generosity to causes close to my heart. 2020 – Let’s continue to make the world a better place so people don’t take their own lives.
#CarryingOn❤️🎈💚🐻 #800273talk #text741741 #suicideisnotanoption #stayconnectedtoothers #YOUmatter #iloveYou #theworldneedsYOUhere #takecareofYourself #Hope #moveforward #YOUareagiftfromGod #cheeringforClemsonisaNewYearstradition #FaithHopeLove #dojustlyNow #lovemercyNow #walkhumblyNow

As we mourned the loss of James, we asked that donations be made in his memory to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. 23 donations were made that we know of; they did not include all of the amounts donated, but we do know it was well in excess of $26,000. In June, our mighty team of 4 walked 16 miles, overnight, all over the city of Boston and raised $5500 for the AFSP. For World Suicide Prevention Day in September, many of you joined us in releasing a balloon, lighting a candle, sharing our story, and/or donating to The Carrie Cotter Memorial Fund. The total donated to Carrie’s fund in 2019 was $18,300. Expenses imposed on the fund are covered by a generous friend of ours and are not included in that number. $18,200 was donated to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in 2019 and the remaining $100 in donations will be donated to the NSPL in 2020. The current balance in the fund is approximately $410. Many community AFSP Out of the Darkness walks are held in the fall and I’m so grateful to all who walked alongside us in our journey, either with us in Waco, Dallas, or Austin, or in your own hometowns in Colorado, Washington, DC, Missouri, or South Carolina. In these AFSP Out of the Darkness walks our teams raised $10,053. 6 of us also walked in the NAMI walk here in Austin and raised $800 for better mental healthcare for all. You all are amazing. Thank YOU.