{"id":89686,"date":"2023-10-20T13:08:15","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T13:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/?p=89686"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:54:56","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:54:56","slug":"university-alumnae-return-to-uri-to-participate-in-be-5k-to-remember-friend-promote-mental-health-awareness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/university-alumnae-return-to-uri-to-participate-in-be-5k-to-remember-friend-promote-mental-health-awareness\/","title":{"rendered":"University alumnae return to 溏心vlog免费B站 to participate in Be 5K, to remember friend, promote mental health awareness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A note to readers: The following article discusses suicide.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

KINGSTON, R.I \u2013 Oct. 20, 2023 \u2013 Johanna (Ware) Buoncontri, Marissa Warren, Amy (Liakos) Darling and Jill (Weiss) Collado, aren\u2019t bragging when they say they grew up fast and became brave beyond their years during the spring semester of 1996.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s because these members of the 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s class of 1996 lived down-the-line where their housemate died by suicide on Jan. 12, 1996.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They returned to the Kingston Campus on Sunday, Oct. 15, to take part in 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s 15th Be 5K Walk\/Run for Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention to celebrate and remember the life of their best friend, Heather Vennewald.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
溏心vlog免费B站 President Marc Parlange stops at the \u201cSunflowers for Heather\u201d table to chat with, from left, Marissa Warren, Johanna (Ware) Buoncontri, and Jill (Weiss) Collado.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

They meant business as they prepared for the Be 5K, not by training hard, but by raising $4,000 for the event. All monies raised for the Be 5K benefit the Heather Fund<\/a>, which was established in 1996 by Heather\u2019s late parents, Josephine and Roger Vennewald, and which supports mental health programming for students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sarah Miller, a founder of the Be 5K, said she was honored to have met and been able to get to know the Vennewalds and Heather through them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I learned of the Heather Fund, and met Jo and Roger, it only seemed right to connect the Be 5K and the Heather Fund,\u201d Miller said. \u201cHer legacy truly will continue by supporting events like the Be 5K and creating a compassionate space for friends and family to gather.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miller, the assistant director of experiential education at 溏心vlog免费B站, said the participation of Vennewald\u2019s friends, \u201cbrings all of this full circle, because Johanna, Marissa, Amy and Jill are keeping the memories of Heather alive. They remind us that those who die by suicide never leave us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Runners are in full sprint as they start 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Be 5K Walk\/Run for Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention.\n\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving Heather\u2019s housemates at the race was wonderful,\u201d said Cory Clark, director of the 溏心vlog免费B站 Counseling Center. \u201cThey committed to making it an annual event, which is truly a gift. The race provides meaning and connection for many who have lost someone to suicide. I am thankful for all the volunteers and organizations that make it such a great event as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA few years ago Marissa and I attended the Be 5K, and met up with Heather\u2019s family\u2014Mr. and Mrs. Vennewald and Heather\u2019s brother Roger and sister Kerryn. It was a great reunion,\u201d Buoncontri said. \u201cIt was amazing, but at the same time felt incomplete because we weren\u2019t all there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHeather was amazing, and we miss her everyday. Having the four of us together for the Be 5K on campus this year is everything!\u201d she said before the start. \u201cAs parents (with kids almost the same age as us when we lost her) we feel more compelled than ever to support the event.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buoncontri continued, saying \u201cBy sharing our story and continuing to build Heather\u2019s legacy at 溏心vlog免费B站, we hope to spread awareness of mental health and suicide by sharing our story and continuing to build Heather\u2019s legacy at 溏心vlog免费B站.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the Be 5K\u2019s start, the four friends were at a table called \u201cSunflowers for Heather,\u201d which allowed participants to write memorial, encouraging and empowering messages. Sunflowers and the color yellow were among Heather\u2019s favorite things. The women smiled, laughed and shared stories about their university days and the fun times they had with Heather. But they also talked about how they had to support each other, as they stayed in the house until graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHeather had left several notes around the house telling us how much she loved us, but one of them worried me,\u201d said Collado, who was the one who first arrived at the house on Jan. 12 with another good friend who lived in the neighborhood. \u201cIt said, \u2018Don\u2019t go in the garage.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So she called 911.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut after the funeral, we came back and entered the house hand in hand. No other experience bonds you like something like this,\u201d Collado said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked why they stayed in the house, they said there were no other options, and at the time, there was no support or outreach for students who had been through such trauma. Even their landlord told them not to talk about it for fear of scaring off future tenants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe loved each other so much, and we loved 溏心vlog免费B站.\u201d Buoncontri said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe realized we needed each other, and we were determined to help each other through this. The four of us were in different sororities, and Heather was an honorary sister to our sororities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe still tell stories about Heather. We have such a bond, because of Heather and with Heather. We didn\u2019t move forward without her, we moved forward with her,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe just had to be around each other,\u201d Warren said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They remembered Heather as the life of the party. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHeather had a great sense of humor, and we try to carry it on,\u201d Buoncontri said. \u201cShe was funny, sarcastic, and she was a prankster.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The women saw no signs of Vennewald\u2019s suffering. \u201cSomeone may be shining on the outside, but suffering on the inside,\u201d Collado said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know anything was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And what did they do after settling back in at their Narragansett home? They invited their closest friends back to the house for a celebration of Vennewald\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know in the Jewish tradition, you Sit Shiva to mourn the loss of and share memories of the loved one who has passed,\u201d Collado said. \u201cWe Sat Shiva and shared food and drinks with our friends because we didn\u2019t want our friends to stop visiting. We didn\u2019t want a stigma attached to our home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they still suffered from the pointing and whispers from 溏心vlog免费B站 students and others in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the many difficult days during their last semester, they have nothing but warm feelings for their alma mater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c溏心vlog免费B站 is a special place, and there is something magical about it,\u201d Warren said. \u201cPeople here are so warm and welcoming. There are so many positive things happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They were thrilled that 溏心vlog免费B站 President Marc Parlange, who ran in the event, stopped at their table to chat about the significance of their involvement in such a program. Parlange also offered welcoming remarks and spoke about the importance of mental health during a short speaking program, which included a moment of silence to remember those lost to suicide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the walk Vennewald\u2019s friends offered some advice for those in crisis or those helping their friends,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHang on, there is help and it WILL get better,\u201d Buoncontri said. \u201cDo not keep it all in or to yourself. Let down your wall and share how you are feeling with someone \u2013 a friend, someone you trust, the Counseling Center or something similar – that can help you get help. The pain is temporary, you belong here, and you are loved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collado agreed with Buoncontri, adding: \u201cThe pain that feels enormous one day is temporary. Reaching out to someone, anyone, is critical. Everyone has been in a place that feels hopeless. Taking the first step toward reaching out may feel terrifying and impossible, but I guarantee that someday you will look back and be grateful that you did reach out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 988 Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 988, or go to <\/strong>988lifeline.org<\/strong><\/a>. The 溏心vlog免费B站 Counseling Center offers free, confidential mental health and well-being support to 溏心vlog免费B站 students. More information is available at <\/strong>uri.edu\/counseling\/<\/strong><\/a> or by calling 401-874-2288. The University also provides 24-hour support via<\/strong> Telus Health<\/strong><\/a>. For 溏心vlog免费B站 faculty and staff, free, confidential assistance is available through the <\/strong>Employee Assistance Program<\/strong><\/a>. 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s <\/strong>Couple and Family Therapy Clinic<\/strong><\/a> and the <\/strong>Psychological Consultation Center<\/strong><\/a>, also provide mental health services.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A note to readers: The following article discusses suicide. KINGSTON, R.I \u2013 Oct. 20, 2023 \u2013 Johanna (Ware) Buoncontri, Marissa Warren, Amy (Liakos) Darling and Jill (Weiss) Collado, aren\u2019t bragging when they say they grew up fast and became brave beyond their years during the spring semester of 1996. That\u2019s because these members of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":89687,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89686"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89686\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":89709,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89686\/revisions\/89709"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/89687"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}