TWLOHA Wins $100k for Suicide Prevention!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

By Jamie Tworkowski • January 25, 2010

Hey Guys, 

Last week was one we’ll never forget. Thanks to your support, TWLOHA finished 3rd in Chase Community Giving and we are $100,000 closer to launching IMAlive, an online crisis network that will bring hope and help to thousands of people.

Over the last few years, we’ve been able to talk about issues that millions live with but few talk about – we’ve also learned that the first step to getting help is the one that most people never take. Thanks to Chase Bank and Facebook, more people are talking today and we’re $100k closer to launching a network that will save lives. 

We want to start by acknowledging our partner in the IMAlive project: Thank you Reese Butler of Hopeline (1-800-SUICIDE) for bringing us into this revolutionary life-saving endeavor. Thanks also to Frank Warren and the passionate PostSecret community for their incredible support. 
There’s a whole list of folks we want to thank, but that can wait for now. Right now, we want to thank YOU. Thank you for voting last week, thanks for tweeting and retweeting, for updating your status and changing your profile pic. Thanks for encouraging your friends to vote. More than anything, we want to say thanks for caring. Thanks for caring about people and thanks for believing in the work and mission of TWLOHA. We’ve been saying since the beginning – nearly four years now – that we’re all in this together. And we still feel that way today. That all of us are called to care for one another, to be generous and compassionate and to do our best to point our friends to hope and help.
Thank you for believing in us. And thank you for coming with us on this surprising journey. 
And certainly the poets…
Donald Miller
Anis Mojgani
Anne Jackson

We made a little video last Thursday night in Los Angeles. The whole thing came together in just a few hours and it was a ton of fun. Thank you to Jamie’s long-time friend Justin Purser for capturing the magic, and for staying up til 5 in the morning to edit and upload. Thanks beyond words to Joaquin Phoenix, Miley Cyrus and Liv Tyler for helping us create something that has introduced TWLOHA to nearly 2 million people in just a few days. Joaquin “resurfaced,” Miley kept us laughing and Liv Tyler may be the kindest person on the planet. 

In case you missed the video, you can check it out HERE
 
 Melissa Rycroft from The Bachelor

Finally, a huge thanks to all of our friends and family members who wrote Facebook notes, updated statuses, and called and emailed everyone they knew. We are super thankful for our loved ones who support us (and tolerate our incessant pleas to vote!).
 

Here’s to moving forward with IMAlive and to being there for people in moments of pain and loneliness. Thanks so much for your support and for being with us on this surprising journey. 
Peace to you, 
jamie and Team TWLOHA 
PS: Congratulations to our friends at Invisible Children!! IC won $1 million for their important work in Uganda and we were happy to support them as the race for first came down to the wire. Beyond the Chase “contest” was (and is) the desire that both IC and TWLOHA could be partners and leaders in inviting young people to live generous, compassionate lives. It’s not about picking a favorite or competing – it’s about working together to save lives and meet needs on this planet that we all share.

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