This week, the Portage IMAX is hosting a memorial fundraiser remembering the late Jade Sleaford, who became one of the rising number of suicides in America. Sleaford took her own life one year ago, on April 14, 2012.
The Sleaford family and the Portage IMAX have put together a fundraiser that benefits the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. On Monday night, 50 percent of the proceeds of concession items were donated to the AFSP.
All week long, the Portage IMAX has donation jars set up for those who would like to make contributions. The theater has been decked out in lime green and purple to show support for Jade’s favorite color (lime green) and suicide prevention (purple). The staff is sporting lime green bow ties to support the cause. Sleaford worked at the IMAX before she passed away.
“I knew I wanted to do something in her memory,” Jasmine Sleaford, Jade’s sister, said. “I didn’t really have too much of an idea as to how or what I would do, but while sitting down to dinner with friends one of them suggested doing something with the bow ties at the Portage IMAX. I thought it was an awesome idea and ran with it, but I wanted to make it bigger than just an article of clothing.”
Jasmine and her parents place a high level of importance on being open about the suicide in order to raise awareness.
“Suicide is such a taboo subject and it is not discussed much because of its negativity,” she said. “I, throughout my own life, have known people who have done this to themselves and I now personally know the destruction it leaves behind.”
On Sunday, the week of raising funds and awareness will culminate with a candlelight vigil in Jade’s memory. The vigil will take place at the IMAX at 8 p.m. With the one year anniversary of Jade’s death approaching, Jasmine continues to think about her late sister with regularity.
“Jade was a bit of a comedian,” Jasmine said. “I remember she would make me mad for whatever reason and her way of getting out of it would be to do something really stupid to make me laugh or tickle me. She had a way of always making people laugh and she would do anything to make it happen. I could go on forever with our stories because we were a package deal, more so growing up rather than the last couple years.”
Although one goal of the events this week is to raise funds, the great purpose is to keep suicide prevention at the forefront of people’s thoughts.
“My main goal for the events is to get the word out and get people talking because this subject pretty much gets pushed into a box and put away in the back corner of people’s minds,” Jasmine said. “They know it’s there and they know it happens, but no one tries to understand it or explain to their kids what it does to the people left behind.
“That’s my biggest problem with this subject ever since Jade died. Our society seems to steer their attention away from anything that isn’t beeping or sending notifications about your friend who commented on your picture you just posted and from anything that is just too hard to deal with. The truth is that suicide happens more often than it should and it can be prevented.”
The Sleaford family is very appreciative of the Portage IMAX, which has been supportive of the cause and the family over the last year.
“They’ve done nothing but supported what I’m trying to do the whole way,” Jasmine said. “I am truly blessed to be working for and working with such a great establishment for this event. They’ve been great to our family throughout the whole year and were right behind me when I came up with the idea for the fundraiser.”