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Westfield High School’s Robbie’s Hope Gala is a night where you can help reduce the stigma around teen mental health and spread hope in our community. The 2023 event is FREE to attend, hoping we will fill every chair and build awareness. The event features student speakers, Kari Eckert, Robbie’s mom, student performers, a buffet, and a silent auction. The money raised from this event will allow our club to support teens at WWS. We hope you’re ready for a life-changing evening. We can’t wait to see you there! Did you know that suicide is the second-leading cause of death among teenagers in the U.S. - higher than drug overdose, cancer, heart disease, and homicide? But perhaps what's most shocking about teen suicide has nothing to do with facts and figures; it's that, despite the staggering number of teens taking their lives every year, nobody seems to be speaking to those affected most - teenagers. Robbie's Hope aims to change that. Our goal is to cut teen suicide in half by the year 2028. By helping to destigmatize depression and empower teens with the tools and resources they need, we seek to help foster youth-driven, youth-created programs that reduce suicide outcomes. In assisting teens in recognizing warning signs and exercising early intervention strategies, we hope to arrest suicidal thoughts before they occur. That doesn't mean training teenage clinicians. Instead, it's simply letting kids know that It's Ok, To Not Be Ok. It's inspiring them to keep HOPE (Hold On, Pain Ends). It's giving them secure channels to engage with others. And it shows them that it's never wrong to ask when you think someone might be struggling. To destigmatize suicide, we must be able to talk about it. Our goal is to get each other talking - through programs created by teens, for teens - we can stop suicidal thoughts before they can start.