In 2014, Randy Bagg — beloved son, brother and friend — passed away at the age of 20.
He had taken his own life.
His loving family has since made it their mission to reach out and encourage others to break the silence surrounding mental illness and suicide — to eliminate the stigma, and encourage those trapped in depression, self-doubt and self-hate to get the help that is needed and available.
The Baggs hand out Break the Silence bracelets at local high schools during Mental Health Awareness Week, and host a fundraising golf tournament at Bradford Highlands Golf Club in support of Canadian Mental Health Association and the Mobile York South Simcoe (MOBYSS) youth mental-health clinic.
This year’s tournament more than sold out, with 156 golfers coming out to play and 160 sitting down to dinner.
“We’ve got more sponsors than we’ve ever had — lots of prizes, donations for gift baskets,” said Randy’s father, Bill. “And there’s a lot of young people out here, a lot of Randy’s friends.”
That’s the demographic the Baggs are most hoping to reach with their message of breaking down barriers, breaking the silence.
“There’s unfortunately so many high-profile people passing away, it’s coming to the forefront — but it’s not enough,” said Bill. “There’s such a stigma. We have to break the stigma.”
All ages, all walks of life can be impacted by mental-health issues.
“The more we can do, the better off someone will be. We just need to help one person get through a bad couple of hours or a bad day,” Bill said.
The family also established the Randy Bagg Memorial Scholarship at Bradford District High School, a $400 award presented to a student who shows leadership, empathy and compassion — all attributes that can build resilience, and touch hearts.
The MOBYSS van was parked at the golf course for the start of the tournament on Saturday. Ilana Archibald, a nurse practitioner, agreed that recent high-profile suicides of public figures have had a negative impact, but it goes beyond that.
“In Ontario we have a crisis,” Archibald said. “We need events like this, breaking the silence, breaking the stigma, and just more resources going to mental health.”
For more information on the MOBYSS youth walk-in clinic, visit mobyss.ca or call 289-879-2376.
