PTSD Awareness event scheduled in Columbiana
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COLUMBIANA--The third annual PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) Awareness event will begin at American Legion Benjamin Firestone Post 290 at 8 a.m. Sunday then move for tee time to The Links at Firestone Farms beginning at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
The PTSD Awareness event brings golf, refreshments, prizes, raffles, a car and motorcycle show, dinner and vendors together to raise funds for Post 290.
American Legion will use the funds to support families experiencing the effects of PTSD.
Tickets including golf, beer and dinner are $95 a person while a dinner only ticket costs $20 a person.
A local resident with chemical dependency experience, Jon Varley believes the event plays an important role raising awareness for veterans and first responders.
"This is for PTSD for the people who serve us," Varley said.
Twenty-two suicides take place daily across the United States among veterans alone.
Varley wants to remove the stigma from mental health for first responders and veterans.
"They are treated like there's something wrong with them; no, they have been through something that's causing them problems," Varley said.
Varley hopes that by raising awareness the county, creates more initiatives to construct resources specializing in the treatment of PTSD.
"It would be nice if we could have more things here that directly relate, where we could send somebody to get help for PTSD," Varley said.
Varley experienced painful events related to PTSD involving losing a friend during June.
Instead of dwelling on grief Varley chose to raise awareness for others.
"A lot of people don't want to talk about it, which is what they need to do," Varley said.