To the editor:

A brave exchange was heard at The Replay Lounge on Sunday. A group of young men complained that the show wasn’t what they expected; instead it was a benefit for suicide prevention. A dad looked them in the eye and told them that his 20-year-old son had died of suicide, and it’s something they need to know about.

Here at Headquarters Counseling Center, at least 10 times every day we talk with people who are thinking about suicide, who are in the midst of a suicide attempt, who are concerned about a suicidal friend or family member, or who, like that dad, have lost a loved one to suicide. In each recent year, between 10 and 20 people in Douglas County have died of suicide. That’s way too many.

Douglas County was recently ranked as the 27th healthiest county in Kansas by the Kansas Health Institute. The KHI rankings did not consider mental health, substance abuse (other than binge drinking) or suicide attempts or deaths.

Fortunately, many in Douglas County realize the importance of suicide prevention. The Replay staff, local musicians, and many fans of a wide range of ages and experiences came out to help keep the free, 24/7 “life support” services of Headquarters Counseling Center available.

It takes more than our committed volunteer and paid staff members and board members to keep life-saving help available. It takes this community. Sunday was a heart-warming example of how this works. Thank you Douglas County for helping Headquarters help others.

Marcia Epstein, director,

Headquarters Counseling Center,

Lawrence