WATCH: ‘You Matter Day’ Suicide Awareness and Mental Health Event Set Sept. 27 at Merritt Island High School

Suicide Awareness and Prevention Event to Take Place at Auditorium Parking Lot

WATCH: Kelly Haskins, founder and president of Do It for Hunter, talks with the Friday Night Locker Room’s Steve Wilson about their upcoming You Matter Day, which will be held on Saturday, September 29, at the Merritt Island High School Auditorium Parking Lot. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

BREVARD COUNTY • MERRITT ISLAND, FLORIDA – I recently had the opportunity to talk with Kelly Haskins, founder and president of Do It for Hunter, which is a suicide awareness and prevention charity.

Haskins’ son, Hunter, committed suicide on September 29, 2021.

With the help of friends and family, the nonprofit was founded to assist others who find themselves in similar situations to Hunter’s and feel like they have nowhere to turn.

Do It for Hunter will be holding its annual You Matter Day on Saturday, September 27, at Merritt Island High School, Auditorium Parking Lot, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will also be a Mustang Mile Fun Run/Walk that will get underway at 9:30 a.m.

The cost is $25 if you choose to enter the Mustang Mile Fun Run/Walk. Everything else is FREE!

There will be fun, games, and activities, along with all types of resources and crisis information.

Multiple schools will be on-site, setting up a booth and enjoying the day. Haskins told me that all we ask of them is to do a “positive activity for free.”

For additional information, CLICK HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Steve Wilson was born in DeRidder, Louisiana and grew up in both New Orleans and Macon, Georgia.  He moved to Brevard County in 1984 and retired from local government as the Community Advocate/Assistant to the City Manager with the City of Rockledge in 2018.

Among the awards and accolades Steve has received over the years are 15 + year Rockledge Little League volunteer, Brevard Public School Jefferson Award Recipient, Rockledge High School Raider Booster Award 2001, 2006, City of Rockledge Employee of the Year 2006, Rockledge Kiwanian of the Year 2006-2007, City of Rockledge Quality Public Service Award 2008, 2012, 2017, Rockledge Kiwanis Citizen of the Year 2012-2013, Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame – Sportscasting 2015, Rockledge High School Leadership and Service Award 2016, Central Florida Humanitarian Award 2017, Space Coast Inspiration Award – 2018,  Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame – Lifetime Achievement – 2020, Ecofest Achievement Award – 2022, Quality Floridian Award – 2022, presented by U.S. Congressman Bill Posey, Florida House District 32 Constituent of the Week 4/20/25.

Wilson is especially proud of his chairing two fundraisers in support of pediatric cancer research through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in honor of Merritt Island resident Julie Spurlock that raised over $25,000.00.

He has been a partner, along with Orville Susong, for the past 26 years with the Friday Night Locker Room, a broadcasting team that covers and reports on a wide variety of local events that are of significance to the residents of the Space Coast and beyond. Their mission is to promote youth sports, support first responders and law enforcement personnel, and showcase community and charitable events that are produced by our nonprofit partners in central Florida.

The Friday Night Locker Room has awarded hundreds of sports achievement plaques to Brevard County student-athletes over the years. They have also awarded more than $18,000 in academic scholarships to Brevard County high school seniors.

Similar Stories