ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT A new Labor

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Run for Lives

The Race to End Veterans Suicide (REVS) 22K focuses on veterans support.

By Linda Feagler

Lorain County’s Labor Day Festival, which will be held on Sept. 4 at Black River Landing in Lorain, will feature food from local vendors and live music. But the fete will also be a time to remember those whose service to their country was fraught with life-ending despair after returning home.

The Lorain County Veterans Service Commission is hosting the first-annual Race to End Veterans Suicide (REVS) 22K, which begins at 7:30 a.m.; and a 2.2-mile run-walk-ruck that starts at 9 a.m. All participants will receive a T-shirt and finisher medal, and proceeds will be donated to the nonprofit Emergency Veterans Support of Lorain County. The date also coincides with National Suicide Prevention Week, which takes place Sept. 4 through 10.

Dedicated to delivering help and information to veterans and their dependents and survivors, the Lorain County Veterans Service Commission provides transportation to VA medical appointments; helps with filing claims for financial assistance and benefits related to term of service; and recommends resources for mental health issues and employment opportunities.

“Last year, we provided $940,000 in financial assistance to the veterans of the county. That puts us in the elite of the state as far as financially assisting veterans,” says Lorain County Veterans Service Executive Director Jacob Smith, a former Army artilleryman whose 2000 to 2004 term-of service included 15 months in Iraq. “If there’s a way we can help a veteran, we do everything we can to do so. In many cases, what we do here helps save their life.”

That includes focusing attention on suicide prevention. According to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, approximately 22 former members of the armed forces, on average, end their lives every day. According to statistics listed on the Ohio Veteran Suicide Data Sheet, 257 Ohioans were among those casualties in 2019.

“Veterans are more likely to commit suicide than their For more information about the REVS events, visit civilian counterparts,” Smith says. “Some take their own life loraincountyveterans.com and click on “Events.”

because of personal issues. For others, it’s related to their time in service. Many see it as the only way out because they don’t see a solution to the problems they’re facing. It’s a real issue the VA is attempting to address. We hope the REVS events will raise awareness that assistance is available and that people do care about them.” Lorain County Veterans Service Commission Service Officer Krystol Mayer helped launch the idea for the REVS Labor Day initiative in Lorain. The Navy veteran, who served “If there’s a way we can help a as the female aircraft director veteran, we do everything we can on the flight deck of the USS to do so. In many cases, what we Theodore Roosevelt during the first attacks in Afghanistan do here helps save their life.” for Operation Enduring – Jacob Smith Freedom, understands the benefits movement brings. “After leaving the service, I came to Cleveland where my husband is from, started a family and began attending college,” says Mayer, who participates in races that include the Cleveland Marathon. “It was a difficult transition, and running became an important stress-relieving outlet for me.” Garry Gibbs, director of the Lorain County Visitors Bureau, hopes the 22K and 2.2-mile run-walk-ruck will become an annual event that will not only promote suicide prevention but also bring casualty numbers down. “REVS will give our county a chance to shine,” he says, “and will serve as the spark plug for years to come.”

Here to Help

Dr. Drew Pinsky will share his insights during the Pearls of Wisdom annual event.

By Linda Feagler

People in all stages and ages of life struggling with addiction know they have a friend at the LCADA Way. Since 1981, the nonprofit organization has delivered customized approaches for treatment to men, women and adolescents in Lorain, Medina, Erie and Cuyahoga counties and surrounding communities.

“The LCADA Way is for anyone who needs it,” says Joe Matuscak, the organization’s director of marketing, development and communications. “We’re here to help.”

On Oct. 27, the LCADA Way will hold Pearls of Wisdom, its annual benefit and recognition dinner, at Embassy Suites Rockside in Independence.

The keynote speaker for the evening is Dr. Drew Pinsky. For 25 years, Pinsky served as program medical director of the chemical dependency unit at Las Encinas Hospital, an acute inpatient psychiatric facility in Pasadena, California. Board-certified in internal medicine and addiction medicine, he has been an assistant clinical professor at the University of Southern California School of Medicine in the department of psychiatry.

Known nationally as “Dr. Drew,” Pinsky is the author of Cracked: Putting Broken Lives Together Again and hosts a number of streaming shows and podcasts on drdrew.com.

“Unfortunately, we’ve gotten to the point where everyone knows someone who’s struggling with addiction,” Pinsky says. “One of the reasons I became interested in addiction is that it became clear to me some time ago that this is the medical problem of our time. This country, in particular, has a deficit in resources for mental health treatment, and we have an extraordinary amount of people coming out of their childhood with trauma. We have a spiritual malady in this country that’s showing itself through the disease of addiction.

“LCADA is the shining beacon of light in a pretty dark landscape,” he adds. “It’s gratifying to see the community support this worthwhile organization.” For more information or to purchase tickets for Pearls of Wisdom, call 440-989-4919 or visit thelcadaway.org/events

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