Videos of Pelham teens pouring ice water on their heads flooded on to Instagram Stories throughout March and April—and not just for fun—but to make a splash for mental health awareness.
The University of South Carolina’s Mental Illness Needs Discussion (MIND) Club launched the #SpeakYourMIND campaign in March as a mental health awareness initiative after club founder Wade Jefferson experienced personal losses due to suicide. The campaign encourages participants to record themselves pouring ice water over their heads, post the video on Instagram, nominate two to five friends to do the same and donate to a fundraising page.
The initiative replicates the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge started in 2014 in support of late Pelham resident Anthony Senerchia Jr. and his family and to raise awareness of Senerchia’s battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Sparked by a video challenge from Senerchia’s cousin, the campaign went viral and became a global phenomenon supporting ALS research.
The new effort to boost mental health awareness surged throughout Westchester County and the rest of the country, with Pelham youth joining in the effort.
“I like the idea behind the USC #SpeakYourMIND campaign because it is a way to spread awareness and bring people together,” said Sonia Brown, a senior at Pelham Memorial High School. “It is a unique idea and I think its creativity helped it become widespread.”
“I did the #SpeakYourMIND challenge because mental health is important to me, and I thought it was a meaningful and fun way to express that,” said PMHS senior Lucette Ow said. “I think that the ice bucket challenge has done a lot of good in the past, bringing a lot of awareness to ALS and bringing people together in solidarity.”
PMHS senior Gianluca Polenzani said “mental health is extremely important to me. When I was nominated for the challenge and learned what it was about, I was inspired. The challenge had made its rounds throughout the country, demonstrating the true importance of mental health.”
