A high-profile Penticton man whose life tragically ended on the weekend is a stark reminder of the need for dialogue on mental illness, according to organizers of an upcoming memorial event.
Amanda Lysohirka and her husband, Chad, are organizing the Mental Health Burger and Ball for Jeremy, Mare and Thomas, after Jeremy McGoran, a former radio personality and mental health awareness advocate, was found dead on Friday after going missing earlier that day.
含羞草研究社淎s most people know Jeremy and Mare, they含羞草研究社檝e always been very supportive and pushing the mental health awareness,含羞草研究社� Amanda said, noting that McGoran played on her and Chad含羞草研究社檚 slopitch baseball team.
含羞草研究社淲e talked with him a bit about mental health, and how it affected me and how we含羞草研究社檝e kind of had a common ground.含羞草研究社�
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Over the years McGoran had been an advocate to bring awareness to mental health issues through the local Ride Don含羞草研究社檛 Hide event, which is scheduled for June 25 in Penticton. In April, McGoran told the Penticton Western News the more he learned about mental illness the more he wanted to share his own story to show others you don含羞草研究社檛 have to suffer in silence and to help reduce the stigma associated with it.
While Amanda had that common ground with McGoran, he and Chad had their own shared interests: sports.
含羞草研究社淗e understood a lot of references, especially from 1990s baseball, that I was probably the only person possibly in Penticton, even British Columbia that would understand what he was saying,含羞草研究社� Chad said.
含羞草研究社淓very chance we had to talk or hang out or laugh in the dug out, we would. But he was full of obscure references, I think I might have been the only one in the league, for sure, that knew what he was talking about.含羞草研究社�
At a Monday evening slopitch game, the team含羞草研究社檚 first since McGoran passed, those two interests intersected, with Amanda suggesting the team wear green ribbons, the symbol for mental health awareness. That idea, Amanda said, took off with the team, who all wore the green ribbons through the game.
From there, the team wanted to do more to commemorate McGoran and the issue of mental health awareness.
含羞草研究社淚 thought, well, maybe it含羞草研究社檚 a good time to bring up doing some sort of fundraiser. And, so, I brought it up, and sure enough, again, it just hit off,含羞草研究社� she said.
含羞草研究社淓veryone started throwing ideas, you know, let含羞草研究社檚 do burgers, and let含羞草研究社檚 see what we can do for donations, and we含羞草研究社檒l play our game, and everyone can watch. Everyone is willing to help in every way possible.含羞草研究社�
Since conception, Amanda says the idea has blown up, and continued to expand, with more and more people looking to get involved.
含羞草研究社淲e started last night at about 9 p.m., and it has just taken off. The one thing that we含羞草研究社檙e still working on is making sure we have food for everyone,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淢y husband has come up with this wicked idea for doing a hockey card game, and Jeremy was just a huge fan of hockey cards.含羞草研究社�
This year was McGoran含羞草研究社檚 first playing with the team, and Amanda said he had been a strong player, who helped keep the team feeling positive.
含羞草研究社淗e was just an all-star out in the field, he was able to catch everything, he含羞草研究社檇 rip his pants every chance he含羞草研究社檇 get sliding into bases,含羞草研究社� she said. 含羞草研究社淗e was always a smiling, happy guy. Always kept the team spirit up.含羞草研究社�
Chad developed a friendship with McGoran through the slopitch team, and the two bonded over obscure sports trivia from decades ago.
Chad said he含羞草研究社檇 been at McGoran含羞草研究社檚 house only two days prior to his death, noting that McGoran had been telling him stories 含羞草研究社� something he was particularly good at.
含羞草研究社淚t was very hard to see how fast 48 hours can go. It was terrible. It was horrible, it was not fun. He was quite easy to get a hold of on Facebook, and then suddenly he just kind of stopped going online, and that含羞草研究社檚 when you kind of got the vibe that something wasn含羞草研究社檛 right,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淲e had plans to watch the hockey game together the following day, and it was a little bit unsettling watching the game at home versus at his house, or with his family. It was certainly a different feeling.含羞草研究社�
South Okanagan Similkameen Mental Wellness Society president Sharon Evans said some key questions often come up after a suicide.
含羞草研究社淲hat did I miss, what could I have done differently, why didn含羞草研究社檛 we understand that this person was at that point?含羞草研究社� Evans said. 含羞草研究社淪ometimes they reach the point where they don含羞草研究社檛 even have the words left to tell you. Or they含羞草研究社檝e made up their mind, and they含羞草研究社檙e just waiting for you not to be there.含羞草研究社�
For Evans, the key point, now, is to remind people who suffer from mental illness, and those with family members with mental illness, is that help is available.
含羞草研究社淲hat people need, family members need to have education and support so that they can help the person, and more importantly help themselves to understand what the person is experiencing,含羞草研究社� Evans said, noting that the Mental Wellness Society has programming for that.
Evans also points to programming in place for peer support, which includes one-on-one work and peer groups, for those with experience dealing with mental illness to help others.
But foremost, Evans says those who suffer from mental illness need to go to their family doctor.
含羞草研究社淎nd don含羞草研究社檛 believe that it含羞草研究社檚 going to go away,含羞草研究社� Evans said. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e in the process of reminding all the doctors of our existence and that we含羞草研究社檙e available to the best of our collective abilities to reach out to people. And nobody gets turned down.含羞草研究社�
A memorial service will take place for the public at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre before the fundraiser on June 19. The memorial service starts at 2 p.m. The Mental Health Burger and Ball game will start at 8 p.m., also on June 19, at Lion含羞草研究社檚 Park, with barbecued burgers and refreshments to be served by donation starting at 6 p.m.
Proceeds from the event will be going toward McGoran含羞草研究社檚 wife, Mare, and their six-year-old son, Thomas.
