A Meaningful and Magical Evening at A Celebration of Life: Philadelphia 2022



On Thursday, May 19, 2022, more than 300 friends and supporters of Minding Your Mind gathered at the Ballroom at the Ben in Philadelphia for the fifth A Celebration of Life: Philadelphia  and the first in-person gathering for Minding Your Mind since 2019. 

The highlight of the evening was a presentation by Planning Committee chairperson Pat Scher, discussing the milestone event, the growing need for mental health education with Minding Your Mind’s mission to honor every request, and the inspiring commitment of all in the room to further conversations about suicide prevention and mental health. Pat then presented the Emerging Minds Award to Clay Skipper, co-founder of the original A Celebration of Life and a catalyst for bringing the event to New York City, then expanding to Philadelphia and New Jersey. You can watch the entire presentation in the video below, including a special video message from the family of Kyle Craig.

Throughout the event, attendees read tributes to the lives of Minding Your Mind friends who were lost to suicide. Meet some of these wonderful people:

“We are grateful to everyone whose presence and support made this the most charitable A Celebration of Life: Philadelphia in its history,” shares Trish Larsen, Minding Your Mind executive director. “This year, we are projected to complete more than 1,800 programs, by far the most since Minding Your Mind began in 2007. Based on the critical need for mental health education, and the growing awareness among communities that intervention before a crisis is fundamental, we anticipate far exceeding that number next year. The funds raised at this event will ensure that we never have to say ‘no’ to a school and are able to continue reaching as many students and supporting adults as we possibly can. Thank you to everyone who was involved and attended.”

Stay in touch with Minding Your Mind throughout the year on these social media channels:

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Please click a logo for more information on each of these generous companies and organizations.

Photos from 2022 A Celebration of Life: Philadelphia