In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

I have never believed in ghosts. I was never scared of a bump in the night or the whisper of the wind. I may not believe in ghosts, but I am haunted by my father. I was barely five years old the last time I saw him. In October 2010, my father invited some family members over for his “goodbye party” which was also my birthday party. He had told everyone that he loves that he was dying of cancer, manipulating those he cared about most. In the following days, my father got into a dispute over drugs and it ended with someone nearly dead and my father running from the police. A warrant came out for his arrest and I was picked up by the chief-of-police and my mom at preschool. Walking out of school gripping my mother’s hand, I didn’t return until my father was arrested almost a week later. He was charged with attempted murder and pled guilty, making him a convicted felon with a restraining order taken out against him, meaning he was banned from seeing my sisters and I until we turned 18. The tragic part about that story isn’t the fact that my father stabbed someone, or that he was lying to everyone he loved, it’s that the only memory I have from that last day is the two of us sitting in my father’s massive memory foam bed as he read my birthday card. Hello Kitty smiled up from the front and it ended like all cards do, “Love, Daddy.” Growing up my two sisters would go back and forth about how much they loved their dad despite what he had done. I spent nights pondering if I should hate this monster or love him for the Lady Antebellum song we would sing or how he taught me how to ride a bike in the yard. As my younger half-brother got older I heard how my father would take him camping, on cruises, and coach his town basketball team. If he could have been an exceptional dad for my brother, why couldn’t he have been there for me? He became nothing more than the ghost of what would’ve been, what could’ve been, what should’ve been. After years of connecting the different pieces, October 17, 2023, will be my decision. The day of lifting the restraining order. But I never want to be that five-year-old girl, spinning, confused, and depressed. I don’t want to be the girl who constantly has a dark cloud over her head, who has to peek around corners looking for monsters hiding in the dark. I want to be someone who doesn’t care about the ghost of my father who hides in the shadows. I will be the mature 18-year-old woman who sees through his ghost. I will make this ghost disappear into a cloud of smoke because I can live without his haunting.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

I have never believed in ghosts. I was never scared of a bump in the night or the whisper of the wind. I may not believe in ghosts, but I am haunted by my father. I was barely five years old the last time I saw him. In October 2010, my father invited some family members over for his “goodbye party” which was also my birthday party. He had told everyone that he loves that he was dying of cancer, manipulating those he cared about most. In the following days, my father got into a dispute over drugs and it ended with someone nearly dead and my father running from the police. A warrant came out for his arrest and I was picked up by the chief-of-police and my mom at preschool. Walking out of school gripping my mother’s hand, I didn’t return until my father was arrested almost a week later. He was charged with attempted murder and pled guilty, making him a convicted felon with a restraining order taken out against him, meaning he was banned from seeing my sisters and I until we turned 18. The tragic part about that story isn’t the fact that my father stabbed someone, or that he was lying to everyone he loved, it’s that the only memory I have from that last day is the two of us sitting in my father’s massive memory foam bed as he read my birthday card. Hello Kitty smiled up from the front and it ended like all cards do, “Love, Daddy.” Growing up my two sisters would go back and forth about how much they loved their dad despite what he had done. I spent nights pondering if I should hate this monster or love him for the Lady Antebellum song we would sing or how he taught me how to ride a bike in the yard. As my younger half-brother got older I heard how my father would take him camping, on cruises, and coach his town basketball team. If he could have been an exceptional dad for my brother, why couldn’t he have been there for me? He became nothing more than the ghost of what would’ve been, what could’ve been, what should’ve been. After years of connecting the different pieces, October 17, 2023, will be my decision. The day of lifting the restraining order. But I never want to be that five-year-old girl, spinning, confused, and depressed. I don’t want to be the girl who constantly has a dark cloud over her head, who has to peek around corners looking for monsters hiding in the dark. I want to be someone who doesn’t care about the ghost of my father who hides in the shadows. I will be the mature 18-year-old woman who sees through his ghost. I will make this ghost disappear into a cloud of smoke because I can live without his haunting.

I have never believed in ghosts. I was never scared of a bump in the night or the whisper of the wind. I may not believe in ghosts, but I am haunted by my father. I was barely five years old the last time I saw him. In October 2010, my father invited some family members over for his “goodbye party” which was also my birthday party. He had told everyone that he loves that he was dying of cancer, manipulating those he cared about most. In the following days, my father got into a dispute over drugs and it ended with someone nearly dead and my father running from the police. A warrant came out for his arrest and I was picked up by the chief-of-police and my mom at preschool. Walking out of school gripping my mother’s hand, I didn’t return until my father was arrested almost a week later. He was charged with attempted murder and pled guilty, making him a convicted felon with a restraining order taken out against him, meaning he was banned from seeing my sisters and I until we turned 18. The tragic part about that story isn’t the fact that my father stabbed someone, or that he was lying to everyone he loved, it’s that the only memory I have from that last day is the two of us sitting in my father’s massive memory foam bed as he read my birthday card. Hello Kitty smiled up from the front and it ended like all cards do, “Love, Daddy.” Growing up my two sisters would go back and forth about how much they loved their dad despite what he had done. I spent nights pondering if I should hate this monster or love him for the Lady Antebellum song we would sing or how he taught me how to ride a bike in the yard. As my younger half-brother got older I heard how my father would take him camping, on cruises, and coach his town basketball team. If he could have been an exceptional dad for my brother, why couldn’t he have been there for me? He became nothing more than the ghost of what would’ve been, what could’ve been, what should’ve been. After years of connecting the different pieces, October 17, 2023, will be my decision. The day of lifting the restraining order. But I never want to be that five-year-old girl, spinning, confused, and depressed. I don’t want to be the girl who constantly has a dark cloud over her head, who has to peek around corners looking for monsters hiding in the dark. I want to be someone who doesn’t care about the ghost of my father who hides in the shadows. I will be the mature 18-year-old woman who sees through his ghost. I will make this ghost disappear into a cloud of smoke because I can live without his haunting.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

I have never believed in ghosts. I was never scared of a bump in the night or the whisper of the wind. I may not believe in ghosts, but I am haunted by my father. I was barely five years old the last time I saw him. In October 2010, my father invited some family members over for his “goodbye party” which was also my birthday party. He had told everyone that he loves that he was dying of cancer, manipulating those he cared about most. In the following days, my father got into a dispute over drugs and it ended with someone nearly dead and my father running from the police. A warrant came out for his arrest and I was picked up by the chief-of-police and my mom at preschool. Walking out of school gripping my mother’s hand, I didn’t return until my father was arrested almost a week later. He was charged with attempted murder and pled guilty, making him a convicted felon with a restraining order taken out against him, meaning he was banned from seeing my sisters and I until we turned 18. The tragic part about that story isn’t the fact that my father stabbed someone, or that he was lying to everyone he loved, it’s that the only memory I have from that last day is the two of us sitting in my father’s massive memory foam bed as he read my birthday card. Hello Kitty smiled up from the front and it ended like all cards do, “Love, Daddy.” Growing up my two sisters would go back and forth about how much they loved their dad despite what he had done. I spent nights pondering if I should hate this monster or love him for the Lady Antebellum song we would sing or how he taught me how to ride a bike in the yard. As my younger half-brother got older I heard how my father would take him camping, on cruises, and coach his town basketball team. If he could have been an exceptional dad for my brother, why couldn’t he have been there for me? He became nothing more than the ghost of what would’ve been, what could’ve been, what should’ve been. After years of connecting the different pieces, October 17, 2023, will be my decision. The day of lifting the restraining order. But I never want to be that five-year-old girl, spinning, confused, and depressed. I don’t want to be the girl who constantly has a dark cloud over her head, who has to peek around corners looking for monsters hiding in the dark. I want to be someone who doesn’t care about the ghost of my father who hides in the shadows. I will be the mature 18-year-old woman who sees through his ghost. I will make this ghost disappear into a cloud of smoke because I can live without his haunting.

I have never believed in ghosts. I was never scared of a bump in the night or the whisper of the wind. I may not believe in ghosts, but I am haunted by my father. I was barely five years old the last time I saw him. In October 2010, my father invited some family members over for his “goodbye party” which was also my birthday party. He had told everyone that he loves that he was dying of cancer, manipulating those he cared about most. In the following days, my father got into a dispute over drugs and it ended with someone nearly dead and my father running from the police. A warrant came out for his arrest and I was picked up by the chief-of-police and my mom at preschool. Walking out of school gripping my mother’s hand, I didn’t return until my father was arrested almost a week later. He was charged with attempted murder and pled guilty, making him a convicted felon with a restraining order taken out against him, meaning he was banned from seeing my sisters and I until we turned 18. The tragic part about that story isn’t the fact that my father stabbed someone, or that he was lying to everyone he loved, it’s that the only memory I have from that last day is the two of us sitting in my father’s massive memory foam bed as he read my birthday card. Hello Kitty smiled up from the front and it ended like all cards do, “Love, Daddy.” Growing up my two sisters would go back and forth about how much they loved their dad despite what he had done. I spent nights pondering if I should hate this monster or love him for the Lady Antebellum song we would sing or how he taught me how to ride a bike in the yard. As my younger half-brother got older I heard how my father would take him camping, on cruises, and coach his town basketball team. If he could have been an exceptional dad for my brother, why couldn’t he have been there for me? He became nothing more than the ghost of what would’ve been, what could’ve been, what should’ve been. After years of connecting the different pieces, October 17, 2023, will be my decision. The day of lifting the restraining order. But I never want to be that five-year-old girl, spinning, confused, and depressed. I don’t want to be the girl who constantly has a dark cloud over her head, who has to peek around corners looking for monsters hiding in the dark. I want to be someone who doesn’t care about the ghost of my father who hides in the shadows. I will be the mature 18-year-old woman who sees through his ghost. I will make this ghost disappear into a cloud of smoke because I can live without his haunting.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

I have never believed in ghosts. I was never scared of a bump in the night or the whisper of the wind. I may not believe in ghosts, but I am haunted by my father. I was barely five years old the last time I saw him. In October 2010, my father invited some family members over for his “goodbye party” which was also my birthday party. He had told everyone that he loves that he was dying of cancer, manipulating those he cared about most. In the following days, my father got into a dispute over drugs and it ended with someone nearly dead and my father running from the police. A warrant came out for his arrest and I was picked up by the chief-of-police and my mom at preschool. Walking out of school gripping my mother’s hand, I didn’t return until my father was arrested almost a week later. He was charged with attempted murder and pled guilty, making him a convicted felon with a restraining order taken out against him, meaning he was banned from seeing my sisters and I until we turned 18. The tragic part about that story isn’t the fact that my father stabbed someone, or that he was lying to everyone he loved, it’s that the only memory I have from that last day is the two of us sitting in my father’s massive memory foam bed as he read my birthday card. Hello Kitty smiled up from the front and it ended like all cards do, “Love, Daddy.” Growing up my two sisters would go back and forth about how much they loved their dad despite what he had done. I spent nights pondering if I should hate this monster or love him for the Lady Antebellum song we would sing or how he taught me how to ride a bike in the yard. As my younger half-brother got older I heard how my father would take him camping, on cruises, and coach his town basketball team. If he could have been an exceptional dad for my brother, why couldn’t he have been there for me? He became nothing more than the ghost of what would’ve been, what could’ve been, what should’ve been. After years of connecting the different pieces, October 17, 2023, will be my decision. The day of lifting the restraining order. But I never want to be that five-year-old girl, spinning, confused, and depressed. I don’t want to be the girl who constantly has a dark cloud over her head, who has to peek around corners looking for monsters hiding in the dark. I want to be someone who doesn’t care about the ghost of my father who hides in the shadows. I will be the mature 18-year-old woman who sees through his ghost. I will make this ghost disappear into a cloud of smoke because I can live without his haunting.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

I have never believed in ghosts. I was never scared of a bump in the night or the whisper of the wind. I may not believe in ghosts, but I am haunted by my father. I was barely five years old the last time I saw him. In October 2010, my father invited some family members over for his “goodbye party” which was also my birthday party. He had told everyone that he loves that he was dying of cancer, manipulating those he cared about most. In the following days, my father got into a dispute over drugs and it ended with someone nearly dead and my father running from the police. A warrant came out for his arrest and I was picked up by the chief-of-police and my mom at preschool. Walking out of school gripping my mother’s hand, I didn’t return until my father was arrested almost a week later. He was charged with attempted murder and pled guilty, making him a convicted felon with a restraining order taken out against him, meaning he was banned from seeing my sisters and I until we turned 18. The tragic part about that story isn’t the fact that my father stabbed someone, or that he was lying to everyone he loved, it’s that the only memory I have from that last day is the two of us sitting in my father’s massive memory foam bed as he read my birthday card. Hello Kitty smiled up from the front and it ended like all cards do, “Love, Daddy.” Growing up my two sisters would go back and forth about how much they loved their dad despite what he had done. I spent nights pondering if I should hate this monster or love him for the Lady Antebellum song we would sing or how he taught me how to ride a bike in the yard. As my younger half-brother got older I heard how my father would take him camping, on cruises, and coach his town basketball team. If he could have been an exceptional dad for my brother, why couldn’t he have been there for me? He became nothing more than the ghost of what would’ve been, what could’ve been, what should’ve been. After years of connecting the different pieces, October 17, 2023, will be my decision. The day of lifting the restraining order. But I never want to be that five-year-old girl, spinning, confused, and depressed. I don’t want to be the girl who constantly has a dark cloud over her head, who has to peek around corners looking for monsters hiding in the dark. I want to be someone who doesn’t care about the ghost of my father who hides in the shadows. I will be the mature 18-year-old woman who sees through his ghost. I will make this ghost disappear into a cloud of smoke because I can live without his haunting.

Bridget Beatty - Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

Bridget Beatty - Mark Bavis Leadership Foundation In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

I have never believed in ghosts. I was never scared of a bump in the night or the whisper of the wind. I may not believe in ghosts, but I am haunted by my father. I was barely five years old the last time I saw him. In October 2010, my father invited some family members over for his “goodbye party” which was also my birthday party. He had told everyone that he loves that he was dying of cancer, manipulating those he cared about most. In the following days, my father got into a dispute over drugs and it ended with someone nearly dead and my father running from the police. A warrant came out for his arrest and I was picked up by the chief-of-police and my mom at preschool. Walking out of school gripping my mother’s hand, I didn’t return until my father was arrested almost a week later. He was charged with attempted murder and pled guilty, making him a convicted felon with a restraining order taken out against him, meaning he was banned from seeing my sisters and I until we turned 18. The tragic part about that story isn’t the fact that my father stabbed someone, or that he was lying to everyone he loved, it’s that the only memory I have from that last day is the two of us sitting in my father’s massive memory foam bed as he read my birthday card. Hello Kitty smiled up from the front and it ended like all cards do, “Love, Daddy.” Growing up my two sisters would go back and forth about how much they loved their dad despite what he had done. I spent nights pondering if I should hate this monster or love him for the Lady Antebellum song we would sing or how he taught me how to ride a bike in the yard. As my younger half-brother got older I heard how my father would take him camping, on cruises, and coach his town basketball team. If he could have been an exceptional dad for my brother, why couldn’t he have been there for me? He became nothing more than the ghost of what would’ve been, what could’ve been, what should’ve been. After years of connecting the different pieces, October 17, 2023 will be my decision. The day of lifting the restraining order. But I never want to be that five year old girl, spinning, confused, and depressed. I don’t want to be the girl who constantly has a dark cloud over her head, who has to peek around corners looking for monsters hiding in the dark. I want to be someone who doesn’t care about the ghost of my father who hides in the shadows. I will be the mature 18 year old woman who sees through his ghost. I will make this ghost disappear into a cloud of smoke because I can live without the haunting of him.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

In the United States there is an average of 132 suicides per day. This epidemic has become “normal,” and has taken the lives of our sisters, brothers, mothers, uncles and friends as we as an American society see this number grow each year. Over the past two years I have personally been affected by this ongoing devastation. No one truly knows how someone is feeling during their individual struggle. Therefore, we can spread awareness once they have passed, in hopes that we can pave a resourceful path for others in the future. In May of 2022 my mother’s college roommate, Sarah lost her son to suicide. Hayden Thorsen was 16 years old and had an incredible life and future playing hockey at one of the best high schools in Massachusetts. He wore #40 and was a gifted goalie. Hayden was a friend to all who knew him, never hesitating to put an arm around someone’s shoulder. Unfortunately, Hayden just became another number that we look at on the news and say “that is so awful, he was so young.” Instead of letting Hayden's legacy just be another statistic, the Thorsen family created a mental health initiative to show the world that we can be there for one another with a simple act of kindness. Sarah had previously worked with an advertising company and knew exactly how to prevent this initiative from falling into one that people overlook. Sarah and her husband, Rob, call it “Shoulder Check.” Shoulder Check is a movement encouraging young people to commit to supporting one another through small acts that have a big impact. To show that ‘being there’ is as simple as a hand on a shoulder. A “Shoulder Check” is reaching out, checking in, and making contact on and off the field of play. Sarah and Rob brought Shoulder Check to colleges, high school teams, and even the National Hockey League. Even though I never had the privilege to meet Hayden, I decided to bring Shoulder Check to my high school boys varsity hockey team in Canton Massachusetts. Through rigorous coordinated planning between athletic director’s, coaches, and players we made sure that everyone knew what Shoulder Check is and how we were going to execute it. On February 14, 2024 the Canton Bulldogs and Bishop Feehan Shamrocks gathered at our home rink to bring the Shoulder Check vision to life. Both teams wore blue tape on their sticks and a sticker on their helmets. Before the start of the game each team participated in the Shoulder Check pledge while I shared this message: “Here at Canton High School, we are asking for everyone in the stands and on the ice to put their left hand on the shoulder of the person next to them to show and promote support for one another through whatever struggle someone may be facing, no matter how they may seem on the surface.” Watching the players on the ice and their families putting their hands on someone's shoulder brought tears to my eyes as I realized we are all one community who show up and support one another. Strangers putting their hand on other strangers shoulders, creating an invisible continuous line that we would all be connected from just one simple act of kindness. Now I always remember to Reach Out, Check In, and Make Contact.

I have never believed in ghosts. I was never scared of a bump in the night or the whisper of the wind. I may not believe in ghosts, but I am haunted by my father. I was barely five years old the last time I saw him. In October 2010, my father invited some family members over for his “goodbye party” which was also my birthday party. He had told everyone that he loves that he was dying of cancer, manipulating those he cared about most. In the following days, my father got into a dispute over drugs and it ended with someone nearly dead and my father running from the police. A warrant came out for his arrest and I was picked up by the chief-of-police and my mom at preschool. Walking out of school gripping my mother’s hand, I didn’t return until my father was arrested almost a week later. He was charged with attempted murder and pled guilty, making him a convicted felon with a restraining order taken out against him, meaning he was banned from seeing my sisters and I until we turned 18. The tragic part about that story isn’t the fact that my father stabbed someone, or that he was lying to everyone he loved, it’s that the only memory I have from that last day is the two of us sitting in my father’s massive memory foam bed as he read my birthday card. Hello Kitty smiled up from the front and it ended like all cards do, “Love, Daddy.” Growing up my two sisters would go back and forth about how much they loved their dad despite what he had done. I spent nights pondering if I should hate this monster or love him for the Lady Antebellum song we would sing or how he taught me how to ride a bike in the yard. As my younger half-brother got older I heard how my father would take him camping, on cruises, and coach his town basketball team. If he could have been an exceptional dad for my brother, why couldn’t he have been there for me? He became nothing more than the ghost of what would’ve been, what could’ve been, what should’ve been. After years of connecting the different pieces, October 17, 2023 will be my decision. The day of lifting the restraining order. But I never want to be that five year old girl, spinning, confused, and depressed. I don’t want to be the girl who constantly has a dark cloud over her head, who has to peek around corners looking for monsters hiding in the dark. I want to be someone who doesn’t care about the ghost of my father who hides in the shadows. I will be the mature 18 year old woman who sees through his ghost. I will make this ghost disappear into a cloud of smoke because I can live without the haunting of him.