DANVILLE, Pa. — Mental health over everything—that's the motto of Danville Area High School's Students Preserving Mental Health Club.
"You see people struggling every day with mental health issues, and personally, from my friends, I've seen a few people go through things, and it's nothing you want to see people go through. So, we want to be able to help them," said senior Dameon White
Students and faculty will hit the court Friday for the "Mind Over Matter" mental health awareness basketball game.
"The cheerleaders are also doing a routine at halftime; the teachers are dancing with the kids, which is going to be really fun," said SPM advisor Megan Geise.
But the game is much bigger than basketball. It's a way to shine a light on the struggles of mental health and its impact on students.
As Danville Area School District has lost three students to suicide in recent years.
"As a teacher knowing these students, it hits hard, and it's a proud moment though to see the students step up and create something like this. It really brings people together and brings light to the situation," said fifth grade teacher Danielle Bronowicz.
"It's been really hard on our students, especially going through COVID, but we know that all of the kids know that we are in this together," said Geise.
Teachers tell Newswatch 16 they start the conversation in the younger grades to encourage students to build each other up.
"Kids open up and they talk, so having them move into the middle school and the high school, they have the foundation for coping and dealing with their feelings and preventing that stress," said Bronowicz.
The Mind Over Matter mental health awareness game tips off at 6 p.m. Friday.
Money from the game will go toward mental health awareness activities and programs, along with creating a scholarship in memory of the students lost.