Office of the Mayor

Proclamation

Lawrence, Kansas

WHEREAS:  In the United States in 2009, nearly 37,000 people died by suicide; that means one person every 14.2 minutes; and

WHEREAS:  The rate of deaths by suicide in Kansas and in Douglas County are consistently higher than the national rate; and

WHEREAS:  In each recent year approximately twenty people in Douglas County have died by suicide; and

WHEREAS:  Thomas Brown and Zachary Chipps, who each lost a brother to suicide, formed RISE Phoenix and will bicycle into Lawrence on Monday May 7, 2012, during their ride from California to New York; and

WHEREAS:  RISE Phoenix is raising national awareness and providing support and understanding to those bereaved by suicide, including adolescents and young adults, letting them know they are a part of a larger community of life; and 

WHEREAS:  RISE Phoenix is raising awareness that although daily stress and can lead to depression, through self-reflection and expression, an individual can discover new and creative ways to transform their lives; and

WHEREAS: Our City seal with a phoenix rising from the ashes, and our City motto of "from ashes to immortality" show our determination to stand up for the rights and dignity of all people, including those affected by suicide;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert J. Schumm, Mayor of the City of Lawrence, Kansas, do hereby proclaim the week of May 6 – 12, 2012 as

“RISE Phoenix Week”

                                                        Robert J. Schumm, Mayor

May 1, 2012