In The Race to Save Lives

On June 27th, 2021, Team Suicide Prevention successfully finished the 3,037 mile Race Across America in a finish time of 7d 19h 34m marking a successful conclusion to over 18 months of training thousands of miles on our bicycles while also engaged in extensive logistics planning.

We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to our sponsors and supporters whose assistance made this result possible. Thanks to your financial support, Team Suicide Prevention has donated over $10,000 to organizations on the front lines of fighting the suicide epidemic with additional plans for donations as we kick-off our campaign to train for the Race Across The West in June, 2022. Why are we doing this? During our travels across the great United States of America, we had the opportunity to meet hundreds of individuals to hear their personal stories of struggles and tragedy and the need for focus and awareness on this critical issue is still as important as ever. The mission of Team Suicide Prevention will continue to raise awareness and spread hope. We ask you to stay tuned for additional information and insights as we prepare to undertake this important journey to Race To Help Save Lives and Spread Hope.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about an issue that is quietly taking so many of our loved ones right before our eyes, Suicide. Nationally Suicide is among the tenth leading causes of death in the United States and is the second leading cause of death for teenagers. Twenty-two veterans per day make the heartbreaking choice to end their life by suicide. In 2017, more first responders (Police and Firemen) took their own lives than died in the line of duty. From 2007 to 2017 suicide is up 56% among those age 10-24. One in four adults live with a significant mental health challenge, including severe depression. In total 47,000 Americans per year end their lives at their own hands. If you are riding on an elevator with three other people, statistically one of those with you may be suffering in silence. These people in need of critical help and support are our neighbors, our friends, or members of our family.

Team Suicide Prevention is a group of cyclists, crew, medical professionals and film personnel that has been deeply touched by Suicide. As we shared our biographies with one another, we became aware that each of us has been effected by depression or Suicide. An estimated quarter million people become Suicide survivors every year.

Suicide is preventable. Most suicidal individuals want to live, they are just unable to see other alternatives to their problems. When severely depressed people seek treatment there is a 80-90% success rate with therapy and/or medications.

Captains Eric Gomez and Bill Taitano and their twenty-two-person team invite you to become a sponsor for our inaugural participation in the world renowned 2021 Race Across America (RAAM) competition. Their team, “Team Suicide Prevention”, will participate in the 2021 RAAM competition and will raise awareness and funds for organizations including The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Hope is Oxygen, The Mental Health Association of Oklahoma, and The Coffee Bunker through their participation. Race Across America (RAAM) is one of the most respected and longest running ultra-endurance events in the world. RAAM is seen as a pinnacle of athletic achievement like the European Grand Cycling Tours (Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana and Giro de Italia) but the greater sporting community as well. 

RAAM is not a stage race, RAAM is one continual stage, once the clock starts it does not stop until the finish line. Racers must cycle 3000 miles, night and day, across 12 states, and climb over 170,000 vertical feet. Team racers are granted a maximum of nine days to complete the course. The 2021 RAAM will begin on June 19, 2021 and will include racers from at least 20 countries as they race from Oceanside, CA to Annapolis, MD. The primary source of funding for “Team Suicide Prevention” is from businesses, personal donors, and sponsors such as you. It is for this reason that we are asking for your support us as we Race To Help Save Lives. Our fund raising mission doesn’t end when we cross the finish line. The team is in this critical mission for the long term to support these organizations.

We are in this race to help save lives! Our team is made up of medical professionals, former policy makers, retired executives, first responders, disabled veterans, fathers, daughters, mothers and sons, whose lives have been significantly altered by suicide or have close ties to those who have. We are racing in the toughest endurance race to raise awareness for suicide prevention and mental health issues. We support key organizations who are on the front lines and in the trenches, in the Race to Save Lives. These organizations include The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Hope Is Oxygen, The Coffee Bunker, and The Mental Health Association of Oklahoma. Our journey will be documented in film and many whose lives have been changed forever will be featured in the documentary release. We envision that this film be available for view on streaming platforms, schools, civic, and social groups to spread the message of hope.

Team Suicide Prevention is proud to offer our support to the following organizations:

• Established in 1987, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is a voluntary health organization that gives those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education and advocacy to act against this leading cause of death. AFSP is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide.

• Hope is Oxygen is an organization founded by Linda Pulver of Tulsa, Oklahoma that works with families whose lives are forever altered by suicide. Statistically suicide can “cluster” and the Boxes of Hope that are distributed immediately after a family loses a loved one have had profound impacts to those who are in the wake of a suicide.

• The Coffee Bunker is an organization that offers a place where veterans can make connections with other veteran, representatives from other veteran organizations, resource people related to employment and education, and others who can facilitate transition to civilian life.

• The Mental Health Association of Oklahoma is a statewide agency whose work is dedicated to promoting mental health and the equity of access to mental health care through advocacy, education, research, service, and housing.