Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States (CDC) and many times, untreated depression is the trigger. The Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation strives to change this statistic and prevent depression-related deaths.
In 2006, teenager Matthew Silverman took his own after battling depression. His father, Ron Silverman, founded his organization to shine a light on teen suicide and to open the conversation about mental illness. His goal is to turn this tragedy into something positive in order to help teengagers and families facing the struggles he knows too well.
@4mattmsmf & @active_minds at Beverly Hills High School today campaigning to #sendsilencepacking for #mentalhealth…
Posted by Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation on Friday, November 6, 2015
The organization raises public awareness for this issue and supports fellow charities including Teenline, Active Minds and HealGrief that fight for similar causes.
Last week (January 18), the non profit hosted its Stand Up to Depression event, which featured performances from a number of hilarious comedians. All proceeds earned from the star-studded event benefit the Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation.
Guests walked the red carpet before taking their seat inside The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, CA. Mellisa Neilsen, founder and president of the Charity Angels, and Ron opened the show with an explanation of the cause before introducing host, Raj Sharma.
Fellow comedians including Adam Ray, Ahmed Ahmed, Tone Bell, PJ Walsh, Johnny Sanchez and Brent Morin took to the stage for their stand-up performances. In addition, Greg Behrendt received the Matt’s Hero award for his public fight against depression.
To learn more about the Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation, click here.