WHAT IS THIS EVENT ALL ABOUT?

THE EVENT:

The Binghamton Pond Festival was created simply to provide a fun family event for our community to enjoy during the winter time. The Binghamton area has a very strong hockey community and this event celebrates the sport locally and offers just about anyone an excuse to come out during winter to have some fun.

We partnered with Chenango Valley State Park, iHeart Media, Labatt Blue and other local groups and businesses to make an enjoyable event for a variety of ages and for people with various interests.

Spectators for the hockey tournament are always welcome, as are all park guests and anyone else that wants to come and enjoy the weekend with us. So bring a camp chair, your four legged friend on a leash, or some friends and come enjoy the fun!

We donate a portion of the proceeds from the weekend to the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier (MHAST) and their Do It For Daron (DIFD) initiatives for youth mental health awareness and suicide prevention.

All of our donation is kept locally and used by the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier to promote the work of DIFD in our community, to offer various scholarship programs for student outreach programs and for area sports coaches to become certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid.

​Thanks to everyone involved, and we hope to see you all there!

THE CAUSE:

On November 13, 2010, 14-year-old Daron Richardson died by suicide.

From this tragedy came a movement to transform youth mental health.

Spearheaded by Daron’s parents Luke and Stephanie Richardson, who decided to transform their very private pain into a public call-to-action, a decision was made to support young people who suffer in silence from the pain and stigma of mental illness. Supported by the energy and efforts of dozens of Daron’s close friends and classmates, a grassroots movement was formed with the mission of creating awareness, inspiring conversations, and transforming youth mental health.

Do It For Daron (DIFD) encourages young people to talk openly about mental illness and to ask for help when needed.

​DIFD provides young people, their parents, teachers, coaches and other adult role models with the resources, outlets and, most importantly, courage to overcome the shame and fear of discussing mental illness. The purple DIFD heart, a creation inspired by Daron’s favourite colour, has become the youth-driven symbol of this movement. It is a visual reminder that only love and awareness, not hiding in the shadows, can combat youth mental illness.

www.difd.com

​www.yourmha.com/difd.html