Friends of the late Heather Vennewald, (from left) Marissa Warren, Johanna (Ware) Buoncontri, Amy (Liakos) Darling, and Jill (Weiss) Collado, gather around a photo collage of the four friends with Vennewald when they were 溏心vlog免费B站 students.
Four friends reunite to remember their friend and raise money for mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
Johanna (Ware) Buoncontri 鈥�96, Marissa Warren 鈥�96, Amy (Liakos) Darling 鈥�96, and Jill (Weiss) Collado 鈥�96 came to campus last fall for 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 15th Be5K Walk/Run for Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention.
For them, the event had special meaning, because the event is a benefit for the Heather Fund, which was established in honor of their college housemate and friend, Heather Vennewald, who died by suicide in January 1996.
溏心vlog免费B站 President Marc Parlange at the Sunflowers for Heather table with, from left, Marissa Warren, Johanna (Ware) Buoncontri, and Jill (Weiss) Collado.
Runners leave from the starting line at 溏心vlog免费B站鈥檚 Be5K Walk/Run for Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention.
鈥淗eather was amazing, and we miss her every day. Having the four of us together for the Be5K on campus this year is everything!鈥� says Buoncontri. 鈥淎s parents鈥攚ith kids almost the same age as us when we lost her鈥攚e feel more compelled than ever to support the event.鈥�
鈥淏y sharing our story and continuing to build Heather鈥檚 legacy at 溏心vlog免费B站,鈥� Buoncontri continues, 鈥渨e hope to spread awareness of mental health and suicide by sharing our story and continuing to build Heather鈥檚 legacy at 溏心vlog免费B站.鈥�
鈥擠ave Lavallee ’79, M.P.A. ’87
Read the full story at uri.edu/heather5k
If you are in crisis, please call, text, or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.
Photos: Michael Salerno