La Plata County 4-H’s CODY project would like to invite the community to a Mental Health Mardi Gras. This special event will take place at 6 p.m. May 2 in the Exhibit Hall at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave.
CODY stands for Communities Overcoming Depressed Youth. The project was created last year after our 4-H program lost Cody Ledford and T.C. Rockwell to suicide. The CODY project is a way for us to unite the community behind mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
The May 2 event will celebrate life through engaging youths and adults in a positive manner. Youths will be able to take part in a carnival of extreme wipe-out games. DAR Toyz of Farmington will set up an 18-foot slide, human foosball and a game called Meltdown. I’m not really sure what Meltdown is, but it is bound to be a blast.
In addition, Cody and T.C. both loved to skateboard, so we will set up an area for skaters to thrash it up. We want this event to be inclusive, and all members of the community are welcome.
Furthermore, we will offer mental health information at resource booths throughout the event. Organizations from our community will be on hand to talk and answer questions. Also, in the Extension Building, we will offer facilitated community conversations and workshops about mental health topics. This may be a great area for parents and adults to engage away from the Mardi Gras events.
The biggest message we would like to get across at the event and through our project is: “you matter.” Participants will be able to join in a community art project, and we will be asking them to add to our collage by answering the question: “Why do you matter?”
The event is part of the La Plata and San Juan Prevention Collaborative organized by San Juan Basin Public Health. If you or your organization would like to join our efforts, contact me at the Extension Office. We have resource booth space available for the event as well.
If you want to know more about this event and other activities, like us on Facebook at The CODY Project or follow us on Instagram.
We will also be launching a special Snapchat feed the day of the event.
We don’t want to lose another life. Please reach out to people you think would benefit from coming to this event. We are still grieving. We still don’t understand, but we are here. We are here to let you know: you matter.
Finally, remember to support our young people Saturday, April 21, at the MAINevent – rebuilding of north Main event – which will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot between La Plata Youth Services and Durango Boys and Girls Club on Main Avenue. This is a part of the fairgrounds parking lot next to the baseball fields.
Youths will have a spotlight event, called “Voice of a Generation.” There will be school bands, spoken word poetry, skateboarding, live art and much more.
See you there.
Greg Felsen is the La Plata County 4-H youth development agent. Reach him at gregory.felsen@co.laplata.co.us or 382-6463.
Greg Felsen
