We cordially invite you to attend the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s annual Lifesavers Gala, and be a part – virtually or in person – in supporting our important work.

Each year, AFSP’s Lifesavers Gala is a special chance to honor those who have helped us make important strides in the fight to stop suicide. Gala award recipients, who include scientists, celebrities and influencers, public policy advocates, and those with a personal connection to the cause, go above and beyond in raising awareness, elevating public discourse, and creating a culture that’s smart about mental health. The Gala is also an opportunity to raise funds for AFSP’s leading suicide prevention initiatives and for our supporters to come together and reflect on the past year’s accomplishments.

This year’s Lifesavers Gala, which can be attended in person or virtually and will include exciting auction and raffle items, will be held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City at 6:30 pm ET, Wednesday, May 11. The event will be hosted by mental health activist, model and entrepreneur, Tanaye White, who uses her platform to share about her own experience with depression and suicide loss with her large number of followers. Our distinguished honorees, who will share stories about their personal connections to the cause and their valiant efforts to make a difference, include:

• Kenneth Cole, designer, social activist and founder of The Mental Health Coalition (MHC), which gathers the nation’s leading mental health organizations, brands, and individuals who have joined forces to change the way people address mental illness
• Courtney B. Vance, award-winning actor (The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, Lovecraft Country, and President of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation), who is a vocal advocate for mental health and talks openly about his family’s suicide loss, his journey with therapy, and the importance of seeking help
• Melissa Bernstein, co-founder of the popular toy company Melissa & Doug, author of the memoir LifeLines and founder of the digital space Lifelines, where people engage with shared community and mental health resources
• David Brent, a child and adolescent psychiatrist who has worked as a researcher of adolescent suicide for four decades at the University of Pittsburgh, where he has helped develop and test novel methods for the assessment of suicidal risk
• Brian Ahmedani, Ph.D., Director, Center for Health Policy & Health Services Research at Henry Ford Health System, whose transformational studies examining patterns of care before suicide resulted in national changes in suicide risk screening and prevention protocols

Whether you attend virtually or in-person, we hope you’ll be a part of this special, transformational evening.