Local Dignitaries Applaud Attitudes In Reverse® and its Life-Saving
Mission at Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Annual Family (including Dogs) Event to Be Held Saturday, May 18, 2019
Attitudes In Reverse® (AIR™), a Princeton-based nonprofit whose mission is to save lives through mental-health and suicide-prevention education, commemorated the opening of its office in West Windsor, NJ, yesterday. Attending the event were Hemant Marathe, West Windsor Township Mayor; Robert Garofalo, West Windsor Chief of Police; Peter Crowley, President & CEO, Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce; and other community and business leaders who support the organization.
“I’m honored to welcome Attitudes In Reverse to West Windsor,” said Mayor Marahe. “You are doing God’s work. Thank you to everybody who helps your organization.”
“We are so excited to have you in our town. We have worked with you for many years. You’re an amazing resource for everyone in this town and we couldn’t be luckier,” said Chief of Police Garofalo.
“AIR is an unbelievable great organization that is so important to our community and the people it serves,” Crowley added.
The opening of the office took place just in time for AIR’s annual family (including dogs) event to be held Saturday, May 18, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at West Windsor Community Park, 165 Princeton Hightstown Road. This event is sponsored by Twin Rivers Animal Hospital, PerformCare New Jersey; the law firms of Szaferman Lakind and Stark & Stark; Fly High Coby/Be the Light; Youth Charity Organization; Princeton Brain & Spine; Kappa Delta Rho fraternity at The College of New Jersey; and Iggybragg Design.
Registration for the 5K walk will begin at 9:30 a.m. The event will also feature live music, demonstrations of dog tricks, arts and craft activities and vendors of various dog-related products and health services. There will also be a butterfly release ceremony to honor loved ones who have passed away too soon and AIR’s In Their Shoes™ exhibit, which builds understanding about mental health disorders and empathy for those who struggle with them.
Guests are also welcome to visit the office during the event. It is located down the street from the park at 61 Princeton-Hightstown Road, in the CDNJ Professional Plaza (behind Chase Bank and an orthodontist’s office. The rain date is Sunday, May 19, 2019.
“This is a fun family event that gives us the opportunity to communicate our message about mental health to a much broader audience,” said Tricia Baker, who established AIR with her husband Kurt and daughter Katelyn after losing their son/brother to suicide following a long battle against severe depression and anxiety.
Since its inception in 2011, AIR’s educational programs have reached more than 80,000 students in middle and high schools and colleges throughout the United States.
“This is vital: mental health is integral to our overall health and must be addressed in order to enhance and even save our lives and the lives of those we love,” said Kurt Baker. “We are very grateful to the sponsors for their support of our upcoming event, which bolsters our mission of educating every student about good mental health and suicide prevention.”
Photo: Pictured left to right at the ribbon-cutting ceremony are AIR Co-founders Kurt and Tricia Baker; Robert Garofalo, West Windsor Chief of Police; and David Jelinksi, Detective, West Windsor Police Department.
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Attitudes In Reverse® (AIR™) was established by Tricia, Kurt and Katelyn Baker of Plainsboro, NJ, in 2010, soon after their son/brother Kenny died by suicide following a long battle against severe depression and anxiety. Their mission is to save lives by educating students about mental health, related disorders and suicide prevention. Since January 2011, they have presented to more than 80,000 students in middle and high schools and colleges in New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Missouri, Texas and Arizona. AIR also offers Youth Mental Health First Aid instruction and includes the AIR Dogs: Paws for Minds™ program, bringing dogs into schools to help students de-stress and engage in the conversation about mental health. In addition, AIR trains and certifies Emotional Support Animals and offers a lunch-and-learn program for businesses. For more information about AIR™, please visit www.air.ngo or call 609-945-3200.
