Let’s race against stigma!
Let’s Erase the Stigma Educational Foundation (LETS) is a charity for children and a positive force for early education and prevention that saves kids today from tomorrow’s issues: issues like bullying, teen suicide, eating disorders, depression, self-harm, substance abuse, and the fear of talking to adults about things that matter.  Just as a marathon or half marathon is a very long race, LETS youth are also on a difficult race: to erase the stigma of mental illness.  Let’s invite kids to talk openly and without stigma today, again tomorrow, and even more later.  Let’s talk every day!  And now that we’re talking...let’s run!

If you join Team LETS SF Marathon 2011 and raise at least $300, LETS Educational Foundation will reimburse your race registration fee.  We’ll also be so stoked to cheer for you as a teammate!

We have a story to share.
It was a bright winter-day on December 17, 2001, but the memory of that day has been clouded by the tragic suicide of a young sophomore from Santa Rosa High School.  A shining star of her cross country team, Marissa was full of drive to excel but never forgot to cheer for her teammates.  While her friends and family saw a beautiful young woman with a brilliant future, Marissa couldn’t imagine a life beyond the darkness of depression, which not even her closest friends knew.  Marissa took her own life at the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, where Team LETS will run at the San Francisco Marathon to give youth like Marissa a voice.  No one can be certain that Marissa’s life would have been different had she felt comfortable opening up to her friends about her depression, but it’s certain that all youth need a safe place without stigma when they are struggling with mental illness―whether it’s their own, a family member’s, or a friend’s.

Let’s help kids talk.
LETS is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to erasing the stigma of mental illness by funding and developing educational programs, mentoring opportunities, and research possibilities designed to empower youth to change the perception of mental illness.  Your donation will go directly to support Empowered Minds Erasing the Stigma: a free program for schools in partnership with Minding Your Mind Foundation that features dynamic young adult speakers leading successful lives while coping with mental illness; followed by an invitation for schools to begin their own LETS Clubs where students can discuss stigma, learn about mental health, plan and lead their own stigma-erasing projects, and provide peer-to-peer education in their communities.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death for teens, and most teen hospitalizations are the result of a suicide attempt; but only three out of ten individuals with mental illness seek help.  We invite you to join Team LETS, a community phenomenon that empowers young people to foster awareness and hope instead of stigma!

Let’s make a difference together.
Please support our exciting race for kids by running with Team LETS in the San Francisco Marathon on July 31, 2011 or sharing a donation.  Help us remember Marissa Imirie by giving kids a voice to talk about mental illness and erase the stigma, one conversation at a time.