RenoPalooza "Just One" Suicide Prevention Campaign
Donation protected
(VIDEO BELOW)
He was only 23 years old when it happened…
My name is Grady Davis Holdridge, and I am asking for funds to help with Suicide Prevention and specifically with our youth. For those who do not know me, I am a 57-year-old Father of four grown children, all by the same wonderful Mother, and we have been divorced for nearly 20 years now with 5 grandchildren that we love very much.
In general, I am a very private person, so asking for money is something that I am not too comfortable with, but this is not about me. This is about facing down an epidemic with our children and young adults. This is about beginning a dialogue and bringing the dirty little subject matters like bullying, physical and mental abuse, and “Parental Mismanagement” to the table. The journey here has been unforeseen and organic. I have been asked to share it…...
The first time Suicide entered my life was when I was 11 years old. I went to school one day and learned that an 8th grader on my Little League Team took his life with his Dad’s shotgun. At that age I was not able to process things and ask the typical questions like “Why”? I was basically taught “One day you die and either go to Heaven or Hell”. You feel me? Who knew what was going on in my teammate’s world when he was away from a Baseball field in Central California. Was he beaten at home? Were his parents Alcoholics? I did not even think about it….
Flash forward to a lifetime later in 2005. After 20 years of marriage, I am now a Divorced Father of four, and a resident in a different State. Within those first eight years in Nevada our children had grown to having a High School graduate married to her HS sweetheart (for about a year), along with two boys who graduated early, and our youngest daughter was still in Elementary School.
Our youngest was the only one remaining in school, and overall, life was good. My ex-wife and I had quarreled over custody during the Divorce, and we were not on the best of terms at the time; respectful, but distant. I had no idea how our quarreling and subsequent Divorce would adversely affect the kids. You are told “kids are resilient, and most kids have Divorced parents these days”. Fail….
When Suicide re-entered my life, it attacked our families without notice on February 23rd, 2005. The time was 12:31 a.m. when I received a call from my ex-wife. It was one of those moments when you know the person on the other end can only be calling with Bad News. My fears were confirmed after I said hello, and her response was “Hey” ….
The tone in her voice caused an instant lump in my throat and knot in the pit of my stomach. I will never forget her words “Grady, something really bad happened. Shannon is okay, she is with me right now, but XXXXXXX shot and killed himself”. Shock….disbelief….relief that our daughter was okay. In the following hours tears flowed as we had to process, short term grieving, and then question “how in the world are we going to tell his Parents?”. We did that at 3 a.m. The experience sealed what I still call the worst night of my life.
I cannot mention the name(s) of my former son-in-law, nor his family out of respect for their privacy. Truth is, after the tragedy, the two families all got a little closer, and then the blame game bled in. Unfortunately, we have not spoken in a long time, and I absolutely try to understand how they feel, but I know I cannot; my kids are still here. I can hug my Son(s), and they cannot. My heart still aches for that family every February 23rd, and my entire family still feels it too.
My oldest daughter still suffers PTSD from that night, but she is doing okay. She has since remarried an amazing husband, and they have two little ones they are raising. I am grateful for this……
Years after the tragic night, I became involved with Music and formed a Band called Seedless 10DenC (Tendency). We were writing songs when our youngest daughter asked if I would write a song about her deceased brother-in-law, and I said yes. I did it but could not perform the song; it was much too melancholy. Then one day it happened! While listening to a lecturer at the University of Nevada, the Speaker disclosed Teen Suicide was Nationally the 3rd leading cause of death among adolescent youths (I believe it is now the #1 cause in WC).
I had chills sitting in the back of class as I could not hear the Speaker any longer because the message began pouring in…. kind of like when it Rains. Life’s problems are like Rain, we do not always like when it occurs, but we need it to “live” life, and become who we ultimately are. Metaphor…. I can do it this way. Think about others!
After writing, performing, and subsequently recording the song, it has been a crowd and fan favorite spanning more than 10 years now. After completing a few music videos in 2020, our sights turned to the final and highest production with “Rain”. The Producer of the project is long time Reno resident, and well-known Actor/Producer Brian Perry. He and L.A. Director Blaine Dahle have put together a vision and have laid out a plan that will garnish a high-level product to be utilized by Washoe County Schools, and organizations like The Solace Tree.
There is a planned curriculum that will be rolled out to local High Schools beginning with Innovations HS (where much of the Short Film/Music Video will be shot). The Director and Producer have agreed that we should shoot for $50K which is apparently a small but doable budget. Prominent talent is behind this project, I trust them, and I ask that you trust me. If I could do this alone, I would, but need your help. Please consider donating whatever you can, and if you are not able, please share. If we can stop “Just One” … this will be worth it.
He was only 23 years old when it happened…
My name is Grady Davis Holdridge, and I am asking for funds to help with Suicide Prevention and specifically with our youth. For those who do not know me, I am a 57-year-old Father of four grown children, all by the same wonderful Mother, and we have been divorced for nearly 20 years now with 5 grandchildren that we love very much.
In general, I am a very private person, so asking for money is something that I am not too comfortable with, but this is not about me. This is about facing down an epidemic with our children and young adults. This is about beginning a dialogue and bringing the dirty little subject matters like bullying, physical and mental abuse, and “Parental Mismanagement” to the table. The journey here has been unforeseen and organic. I have been asked to share it…...
The first time Suicide entered my life was when I was 11 years old. I went to school one day and learned that an 8th grader on my Little League Team took his life with his Dad’s shotgun. At that age I was not able to process things and ask the typical questions like “Why”? I was basically taught “One day you die and either go to Heaven or Hell”. You feel me? Who knew what was going on in my teammate’s world when he was away from a Baseball field in Central California. Was he beaten at home? Were his parents Alcoholics? I did not even think about it….
Flash forward to a lifetime later in 2005. After 20 years of marriage, I am now a Divorced Father of four, and a resident in a different State. Within those first eight years in Nevada our children had grown to having a High School graduate married to her HS sweetheart (for about a year), along with two boys who graduated early, and our youngest daughter was still in Elementary School.
Our youngest was the only one remaining in school, and overall, life was good. My ex-wife and I had quarreled over custody during the Divorce, and we were not on the best of terms at the time; respectful, but distant. I had no idea how our quarreling and subsequent Divorce would adversely affect the kids. You are told “kids are resilient, and most kids have Divorced parents these days”. Fail….
When Suicide re-entered my life, it attacked our families without notice on February 23rd, 2005. The time was 12:31 a.m. when I received a call from my ex-wife. It was one of those moments when you know the person on the other end can only be calling with Bad News. My fears were confirmed after I said hello, and her response was “Hey” ….
The tone in her voice caused an instant lump in my throat and knot in the pit of my stomach. I will never forget her words “Grady, something really bad happened. Shannon is okay, she is with me right now, but XXXXXXX shot and killed himself”. Shock….disbelief….relief that our daughter was okay. In the following hours tears flowed as we had to process, short term grieving, and then question “how in the world are we going to tell his Parents?”. We did that at 3 a.m. The experience sealed what I still call the worst night of my life.
I cannot mention the name(s) of my former son-in-law, nor his family out of respect for their privacy. Truth is, after the tragedy, the two families all got a little closer, and then the blame game bled in. Unfortunately, we have not spoken in a long time, and I absolutely try to understand how they feel, but I know I cannot; my kids are still here. I can hug my Son(s), and they cannot. My heart still aches for that family every February 23rd, and my entire family still feels it too.
My oldest daughter still suffers PTSD from that night, but she is doing okay. She has since remarried an amazing husband, and they have two little ones they are raising. I am grateful for this……
Years after the tragic night, I became involved with Music and formed a Band called Seedless 10DenC (Tendency). We were writing songs when our youngest daughter asked if I would write a song about her deceased brother-in-law, and I said yes. I did it but could not perform the song; it was much too melancholy. Then one day it happened! While listening to a lecturer at the University of Nevada, the Speaker disclosed Teen Suicide was Nationally the 3rd leading cause of death among adolescent youths (I believe it is now the #1 cause in WC).
I had chills sitting in the back of class as I could not hear the Speaker any longer because the message began pouring in…. kind of like when it Rains. Life’s problems are like Rain, we do not always like when it occurs, but we need it to “live” life, and become who we ultimately are. Metaphor…. I can do it this way. Think about others!
After writing, performing, and subsequently recording the song, it has been a crowd and fan favorite spanning more than 10 years now. After completing a few music videos in 2020, our sights turned to the final and highest production with “Rain”. The Producer of the project is long time Reno resident, and well-known Actor/Producer Brian Perry. He and L.A. Director Blaine Dahle have put together a vision and have laid out a plan that will garnish a high-level product to be utilized by Washoe County Schools, and organizations like The Solace Tree.
There is a planned curriculum that will be rolled out to local High Schools beginning with Innovations HS (where much of the Short Film/Music Video will be shot). The Director and Producer have agreed that we should shoot for $50K which is apparently a small but doable budget. Prominent talent is behind this project, I trust them, and I ask that you trust me. If I could do this alone, I would, but need your help. Please consider donating whatever you can, and if you are not able, please share. If we can stop “Just One” … this will be worth it.
Fundraising team: “Just One” Campaign Committee (2)
Grady Holdridge
Organizer
Reno, NV
Shannon Mateo
Team member
Inspired to help? Start a fundraiser for someone you know
