(Editor’s Note: This column discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health condition, please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8).
I was fortunate enough to be asked to participate once again in the Dylan’s Hope charity golf tournament a couple of weeks ago.
Dylan’s Hope is named in memory of Dylan Aaseby, a Becker student who died by suicide in February of 2013. A tragic event and an all too common occurrence in our society.
In fact, the MN Dept. of Health (MDH) indicates that the suicide rate has been rising over the past 20 years and in 2023, 815 Minnesotans died by suicide, or approximately 14 individuals per 100,000 population. The problem persists despite a dedicated phone number — 9-8-8 — that is dubbed the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. In 2023, there were 73,738 contacts (calls, texts, chats) to this life-saving resource according to the MDH.
The Dylan’s Hope charity raises funds each year, and the money is then donated to mental health causes and programs. Becker Public Schools receives a large portion of the funding to help provide mental health services (therapists) to students. This is a unique arrangement and one that wouldn’t be possible without the involvement of the Aaseby family, who doesn’t keep a single penny of the money raised.
After the tragedy and shock of losing Dylan, his family chose action over anger. In the years since, approximately $346,000 has been raised and has resulted in Becker’s children getting much needed mental health support. Dylan’s parents, Britt and Joyce Aaseby, have since moved out of the community but they continue to work with their children Jason and Jen (and spouses Sarah and Ryan) to make a difference by hosting this amazing event.
The Aaseby family has also forged a friendship and an alliance with Colonel Ray Henry and the team from IRAY Auctions. Colonel Ray and his family show up every year and run an amazing live auction experience that raises tens of thousands of dollars. Many of the same bidders show up every year and open their wallets and checkbooks to support the cause.
Together - the Aaseby’s, the Henry’s and the supportive community members - do their part to literally save lives.
But perhaps more important than all of the money that is raised is the way that the day connects people and leads to so many inspiring conversations around the importance of mental health. In the years I have attended, it seems like the stigma of talking about this once taboo subject has been dramatically reduced. People are now more comfortable talking about therapists, depression, anxiety and the need to support one another. To talk openly and remind one another that “it’s okay to not be okay”.
But there is always more work to be done. If you know someone, including a Veteran, who may seem like he or she is struggling, reach out and ask how they are doing. A person never knows what someone else is going through. Thanks again to the Aaseby’s, the Henry’s and the golfers and auction bidders. You folks are lifesavers, and the rest of us could be, too.
