Scooper Sunday at Yard Goats Game Aids Suicide Prevention [VIDEO]

HARTFORD, CT — The Hartford Yard Goats may have lost Sunday's game in extra innings to the Trenton Thunder, but a Hartford-based charitable organization emerged a winner thanks to the generosity of eight vendors who donated delicious treats and hundreds of fans who sampled them at the Scooper Sunday event at Dunkin Donuts Park.

Proceeds from the eighth annual Scooper Sunday benefit the Jordan Porco Foundation, founded in 2011 by Ernie and Marisa Porco after losing their son, Jordan, to suicide when he was a freshman in college. The foundation is committed to preventing suicide in the high school, college, and college entry student population.

One of the key event organizers since its inception is popular Connecticut sportscaster John Holt, who lost his brother Lindsey to suicide in 1999.

"The Jordan Porco Foundation is doing suicide prevention work and mental health awareness work with the younger population - high school age and college age students," Holt said. "They're doing it here locally in Connecticut and nationally as well. They have a Fresh Check Day, where they go to college campuses, just giving young people the opportunity to know that resources are available, it's okay to not be okay, and really to help prevent suicide, which is such a critical issue."

Rita's Italian Ice and Praline's Own Made Ice Cream participated in the event for the eighth straight year. They were joined by Baskin Robbins, UConn Dairy Bar, Capital Ice Cream, A.C. Petersen Farms, Dippy's Ice Cream & Cakes and Ben & Jerry's.

For more information about the work and mission of the Jordan Porco Foundation, visit www.rememberingjordan.org.

Photo and video credits: Tim Jensen

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