Snowboard races raise awareness about teen suicide

Organizers of this year’s Nate Chute Hawaiian Classic snowboard races at Whitefish Mountain Resort are using the Crowdrise crowd sourcing Web site with the goal of raising $10,000. In 2014, racers raised $7,000 using Crowdrise.  

More than 120 snowboarders will converge on the backside of Big Mountain on March 21-22 for the annual races to benefit the Nate Chute Foundation, a Whitefish-based nonprofit focused on reducing suicides among young Montanans.

Currently the foundation funds voluntary student assistance programs in the Columbia Falls and Whitefish school districts. They also sponsor the Youth Suicide Prevention Project, which provides counseling services to suicidal youth.

While the banked slalom and boardercross races are still weeks away, competitors are being asked to get involved now with fundraising efforts.

Foundation board member Jason Forrest says joining the Crowdrise campaign is a great way to have an impact on educating kids about the risk of youth suicide.

Suicide deaths and attempts are epidemic in Montana. Alcohol and drug impairment, a sense of hopelessness, underlying mental illness and a social stigma against depression are said to be the causes of the high youth suicide rate in Montana.

According to a 2009 report by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Montana has ranked in the top five for suicide rates in the nation for the past 30 years.

Montana had the third highest suicide rate in the nation in 2006, and suicide was the No. 2 cause of death for children ages 10-14, adolescents 15-24 and adults ages 25-34 from 2000 to 2006.

Suicide has ranked as the seventh or eighth leading cause of death for Montanans of all age groups for more than two decades. For the period 2000-2007, Flathead County had the third highest number of suicide deaths of all counties in Montana and ranked above the 80th percentile nationally with 21.8 suicide deaths per 100,000 people compared to 19.6 for Montana and 10.9 for the nation.

“Suicide is preventable, and everyone can make a difference” is the message the Youth Suicide Prevention Project puts out. “It only takes approximately 4 1/2 sessions to move most teens away from considering suicide,” the project says.

The project sets three goals — remove social and financial barriers to treatment for at-risk youth; create a network of local affiliates to provide services in a timely and effective manner; and establish and maintain collaborative relationships with local organizations, school professionals and therapists to ensure that suicidal youths have efficient access to counseling.

To donate to the Nate Chute Foundation, visit online at www.crowdrise.com/NateChute2015. To learn more about the foundation, visit online at www.natechutefoundation.org.