'Lights Of Hope' Gatherings June 6 Aim To Help Communities Grieve

WEST CHESTER, PA — A spontaneous set of community gatherings is in the works this week after a Downingtown woman set out to help students and families grieve recent losses by suicide — and 1,600 people responded online.

Lights of Hope gatherings are planned at Kerr Park in Downingtown, at West Goshen Park, and at Layton Park in West Caln Township from 8-9 p.m. on June 6 in hopes of preventing suicide and supporting those affected by recent tragic deaths in the community.

The grassroots response to suffering mental health in Chester County communities — especially among teens — began as Megan Bruton organized an event in Downingtown; then someone stepped up in West Chester, and another in Coatesville decided to call together people who are mourning and who want to better support each other.

Bruton said she began organizing in Downingtown "to honor not only our latest victim who was our second student lost in just over a month, but also the previous four who our students have been mourning the past couple of years."

"We also recently lost a teacher," she said. "In our community alone in the last 60 days, we've lost four friends and neighbors to suicide; half were our children. As a mom of two teens, I went to bed last week sick and with a desire to do something."

Coatesville Area High School students this week sent a signed banner to Downingtown West High School, reassuring their neighboring students "No one fights alone." The banner was in response to the school community's loss of Costantino Villari who died by suicide on May 24. A GoFundMe site in his honor has raised more than $46,000 to aid his family.

Chester County Coroner Christina VandePol, M.D. reports 14 deaths by suicide in the county since the beginning of 2021. January and March both saw four suicide deaths, while there were three in April, two in February, and one in May. In the same five-month period in 2020 there were 21 deaths by suicide in Chester County.

Bruton said she wanted the community, and especially the young people, to see action being taken on their behalf, "instead of just hearing us say that we care and they matter."

She said she never imagined her small plea would turn into 1600-plus event interest just on Facebook, and with the support of our West Chester and Coatesville neighbors.

The events are not officially sponsored by any school district or local government but the organizers said they reached out for help from the community. Chester County's Department of Mental Health and a representative of the Suicide Prevention Task Force staff is supporting the event by providing information on all suicide prevention resources available, Chester County's information officer said today.

Teens who have lost friends reached out and will participate in the event, she reported. "I’m just thrilled that all our kids and the amazing young women who have reached out to help — most who lost their best friends to suicide — will have their chance to speak and share and have their community support them."

Trish Salome said she is organizing Lights of Hope in West Chester at West Goshen Park as a way to "give hope, inspiration, and encouragement."

Salome told Patch she began to organize the West Chester gathering when she saw the event that Bruton was working on in Downingtown had created in response to a recent loss in her community."

"I thought why not cast a wider net to support the larger community? We gather to support mental wellness."

The gathering will include musical reflection, information on mental health resources, and opportunities for healing, she explained.

Members of the community have offered to donate water, tissues, candles, luminaries, posters, time, and talent in the three parks. "Our hope is that June 6 is a night that will open the doors for more conversation, more action, and more acceptance of the need to address mental health concerns in our communities."

She added, "Unfortunately this topic is painful, it is sad and there's no way around it but to talk about it, we need to take action. It's a message of hope for all ages."

The West Chester Lights of Hope agenda includes speakers sharing hope and support, Salome said. High school student musical performances will provide time for reflection and the county's Mental Health Task Force and Teen Line staff will be on-site, she said.

"The amount of support is inspiring," she added. "If one person is seen, feels heard, and can find comfort in the message we are sharing then we did something good. With the wide range of emotions and all of the possible triggers, we are aiming to provide a safe space where members of the community can come together and receive support, encouragement, and hope."

The Downingtown Lights of Hope gathering is planned in Kerr Park, and a Coatesville Lights of Hope will meet in Layton Park in West Caln Township. Coatesville's organizer is Gabrielle Bradley.

Bruton explained that Downingtown is especially reeling after last week's tragic death of a Downingtown West High School athlete and the earlier death of Rhyland McCullough, both teen deaths by suicide.

McCollough's parents, James and Jennifer Moore started this petition for additional resources in our Downingtown Area School District, including calling for the hiring of a Director of Mental Health and collaboration with nearby school districts that have programs in place. Jenn Moore has started the Rhy’s Above Foundation in his honor.

Bruton said a few teens reached out to see how they could be involved in the event. "All of them have been affected by one of the lives lost," she said. They are helping in the direction of the event, she said, because "their voices were my priority."

"Last week when I asked the group of young ladies — all 15 to 18 — if they were comfortable speaking in front of that many people, Anna Andzulis, a freshman and best friends with one of the latest victims replied, 'that's 1600 people that will listen,'" Bruton said.

Chester County's Suicide Prevention Task Force webpage can be found here.

Make sure you know what's happening in your town. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss any local news: https://patch.com/subscribe.