by Terri Wiebold

Alarmingly large numbers of young people in Colorado (and throughout the country) report having made serious plans for suicide attempts. According to the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Coloradans between the ages of 10 and 19.

Following a series of teen suicides at a Jefferson County High School in Colorado, the Second Wind teen suicide prevention fund was established to help provide counseling to those individuals who are identified as “high risk” and can not otherwise afford it.

The Castle Pines Kiwanis Club has gone one step further and established the Kiwanis Club of Castle Pines Foundation, in part to serve as the functioning arm of the club’s Second Wind Program. To date, twelve students have been referred to the program for free counseling.

In addition to its work with the Second Wind Fund, the Castle Pines Kiwanis Club is joining with other local organizations to form an alliance called the "Community Care Awareness Program."

According to Lynn Pender, Chairman of the Castle Pines Kiwanis Club committee that oversees the Second Wind Fund, “We are trying to utilize other local resources without the need to duplicate them. There are a lot of great programs out there, we just have to identify and unify them.”

Anyone interested in volunteering to help with the program is encouraged to contact Lynn Pender at 303-517-4831 or home@lynnpender.com. For more information about the Second Wind Fund, visit www.thesecondwindfund.org.