Shortly after I took on the role of Executive Director at SAVE-Suicide Awareness Voices of Education https://www.save.org/ I received a call from a longtime friend Dan Seeman, VP/Region Manager with Hubbard Broadcasting. Dan and I have done a lot of things together over the years including the Titanic Exhibition, the Melaleuca Freedom Celebration, Hope On The River and a lot of other projects in between.

Dan called to tell me that SAVE would be one of the four non-profit organizations for MyTalk 107.1 Project Down and Dirty event. I was ecstatic. Thrilled. Excited. And I thanked Dan for including us and we ended the call.

Then I had to google “Project Down and Dirty” because I was afraid that the name of the event itself might pose some problems for SAVE!

Then I had to google Lori and Julia because, while I had heard about them, and others had talked to me about them, I honestly have to admit I really didn’t know much about them at all!

Needless to say, it didn’t take very long for me to know who they were once we met and then spent hours together, along with Grant Wenkstern, talking about suicide on the radio.

Talking about suicide on the radio.

We said the word suicide on the radio. Not once. Not twice. About a thousand times. We talked about how suicide impacts lives. We talked about how suicide is preventable. We talked about suicide statistics, suicide numbers, suicide deaths and suicide causes and reasons and what we know and what we don’t know.

We talked about suicide loss survivors. We talked about the direct, personal loss they have felt from suicide in their own lives.

From October 11th through October 13th Lori and Julia performed revolutionary radio that saved lives by spending hours on the air talking about suicide.

Through the years I know, from what I have read, and what I have heard, and what I have learned, Lori and Julia have improved the lives of countless thousands of people. They have made people laugh, made them mad, and made them talk and giggle and gossip and gasp.

Sitting next to them during Project Down and Dirty and listening to them, and talking to them, I know they helped thousands of people better understand suicide and its impact and ways that we can all help save a life.

If you are reading this and you want to know how you can save a life, click on this link for our FREE One Step Ahead training you can take online in less than an hour: https://www.save.org/programs/education-and-training/one-step-ahead/

If you are reading this and you are in crisis and need to talk to someone, call or text 988.

If you were one of the thousands of people who listened to Project Down and Dirty October 11-13 2023 and heard us talking about suicide with two remarkable, brave, courageous and authentic people named Lori and Julia, be grateful.

You were part of a radio revolution.