The Get Together Foundation announces the “988 Lifeline Charity Event featuring Heart & Soul.” The event will take place on Sunday, September 8th at Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. This will be major effort to raise awareness about the nationwide hotline and funds to increase the level of care and support for those potentially at risk for suicide and their families.
The event will feature the debut of “Heart & Soul” – A Musical Tribute to the Life & Times of Donny Hathaway. Legendary soul singer Donny Hathaway suffered from severe mental illness, which resulted in his untimely death in 1979 at just 33 years of age. Hathaway’s legacy lives on in his music. His interpretations of well-known songs include renditions of Leon Russell’s “A Song for You,” and famed duets with Roberta Flack, “Where is the Love” and “The Closer I Get to You.” Hathaway won one Grammy Award and was also posthumously honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
“Heart & Soul” is a multimedia musical tribute that will feature a stellar cast of actors and singers performing Hathaway’s songs and telling his stories.
IT HAS BEEN REPORTED that one in four Americans suffers from severe mental illness, and suicide is at an all-time high. In 2022, more than one million Americans attempted suicide, an increase of 30% over 2000-2018!
In July 2022, the Department of Health & Human Services and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs created the 988 SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE (formerly an 800 number). This EASY-TO-REMEMBER NUMBER — just 3 presses on a phone — making it easier for individuals to access immediate, life-saving crisis counseling by trained mental health experts. There has been a 45% increase in overall call volume, compared to 2021, as well as improvement in response rates and wait times. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline aims to provide immediate support, but comprehensive solutions require increased funding for mental health services and public education to address the multifaceted causes of this tragic epidemic.
PROCEEDS raised from this event will benefit Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services — a leading provider of mental health, substance use & suicide prevention services — as well as additional mental health partner organizations, to help increase the level of care and support for potential suicide victims and their families and help raise awareness of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
About Get Together Foundation
Get Together Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded by by Kevin & Mare Wachs in 2001 is making a difference. Their unique fundraising efforts have included numerous all-star charity concert events and telethons which have raised money for various causes. Committed to action, GTF’s programs provide direct services to children and families in need, crisis relief and more, and extend the Foundation’s reach by partnering with other like-minded organizations to provide a greater continuum of care for the community. GTF’s music enrichment program for underprivileged youth, “Together in Tune,” truly embraces the Foundation’s work at its best.