Farmingdale, NY - March 26, 2018 - Farmingdale High School was a sea of purple for P.S. I Love you Day. This was the 5th year that the Farmingdale School District has participated. The purpose of this event is suicide prevention.
It was created by Brooke DiPalma of West Islip, NY. Her father committed suicide in 2010, just a month after a senior at her high school took their own life. The losses hit her hard. Her father’s last words to his daughter were “I love you,” and they inspired Brooke to create a day that would put a spotlight on suicide prevention. She produced a YouTube video to offer support to people struggling with depression. It featured handwritten cards expressing messages like, “You are not alone.” Brooke began the program with schools in the New York area—but the program has since gone international.
The event asks everyone to wear purple to stand up against bullying, help end depression, and ultimately prevent suicide. Student Ambassadors at Farmingdale High School set up a display in the Commons to sell 2018 P.S. I Love you Day purple t-shirts, and the Art Honor Society painted purple ribbons on students for a dollar. Students also wrote notes of kindness on hundreds of post-it notes and placed them on everyone’s lockers throughout the school.
“It’s a day to celebrate being happy, bringing kindness to one another, and being aware of other people’s feelings,” said senior Peter Viskos, President of the Student Government. The money raised will help grow the Student Ambassador Program and contribute to the annual donation the P.S. I Love You organization makes to the Long Island Crisis Center.
For more information about the Farmingdale School District and its exciting events throughout the year, visit the District’s website www.farmingdaleschools.org.