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Deary named
fund-raiser chair
PUTNAM — The seventh annual Particle Accelerator: A Day of Music and Hope, will be held from noon to 11 p.m. June 8 at Rotary Park. The free music and art festival is held in memory of local musician Jack Young, Jr. and to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention and local mental health programs. This year’s event is set to feature a lively and diverse line-up of popular bands and performers, including Seed, White Rose Confession, Santa Mamba, Our Burgundy and Kala Farnham.
The family-friendly festival will also feature art displays, children’s activities and booths from local nonprofit organizations providing information on various local family, community and mental health services as well as suicide prevention.
John Deary, an active member of the “Quiet Corner” community and owner of Deary’s Gymnastics Supply, has signed on as Chair of this year’s event.
“Hardly a week goes by that one doesn’t encounter a heartbreaking story related to mental illness,” Deary said in a letter asking local businesses and community leaders for support. “The loss of my brother to depression and finally suicide has brought the problem of mental illness all too close to me and my family, and has left a scar on our hearts that will never fade. That’s why I’m proud to serve as this year’s Honorary Chairman of the seventh annual Particle Accelerator.”
Proceeds from sponsorships and donations to the event will go to support Mental Health First Aid training and other mental health programs at United Services, Inc., Connecticut’s most comprehensive mental and behavioral health center, which serves 21 towns in the Quiet Corner. United Services was the first behavioral health center in the state to offer Mental Health First Aid training, and does so free of charge for the area’s first responders, educators, healthcare workers, and many other members of the community. Last year’s Particle Accelerator raised nearly $5,000 for these programs.
To find out more about Particle Accelerator and to donate, sponsor or volunteer for the event, visit www.particleaccelerator.org or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To find out more about Mental Health First Aid and other mental health programs available through United Services, visit www.UnitedServicesCT.org or call 860-774-2020.