The wedding was July 2nd, 2011. It was a beautiful outdoor garden ceremony followed by dinner and reception in Oshawa, Ontario. Jacob and Lisa wanted to give back and make a donation to charity. Both the bride and grooms families have been affected in different ways by mental health, and when they heard about D.I.F.D., they were honoured to support such a great cause because they strongly believe in bringing awareness to mental health issues. At the dinner, rather than giving the typical wedding favors, at everyones name card, there was a D.I.F.D. bracelet, and inside the card there was a message that read:
In lieu of traditional favors, we have made a donation in your honour to Do it For Daron. Do It for Daron was created in honour of Daron Richardson; who at 14yrs old, took her own life. D.I.F.D. raises awareness of teen suicide, depression, and mental health issues with hopes of inspiring conversations and showing support not only to Daron’s family, but for all young people who suffer in silence from mental illness. D.I.F.D. encourages people to speak up, stand up, and make a difference.
The bride and groom had guests sharing in their special day from Edmonton to Buffalo; Toronto to the Bahama’s and everywhere in between! And their hopes are that their guests will wear their bracelets, and when someone asks “What’s D.I.F.D.?”, they will share the meaning and beliefs of D.I.F.D., and help spread awareness of youth mental health where ever they may live.
To see how the bracelet was used click here