Send Silence Packing touring display for suicide awareness comes to Foxborough

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (WLNE) — The Send Silence Packing touring display made a stop in Foxborough on Thursday.

The New England Patriots Foundation hosted the event, teaming up with two non-profit organizations, Active Minds and KyleCares, to bring a suicide prevention exhibit to Patriots Place to help bring mental health awareness to local high school students.

Dozens of students from across Massachusetts toured the exhibit, which showed the backpacks and stories of over 100 young people who have lost their lives to suicide. The experience included discussions surrounding mental health, resources for those in need, and peer support for youth and young adults.

“That’s why we’re all here today. To listen to stories to get to know each other to read the stories on the backpacks and learn about the resources that are in our community,” said Dayna Altman, a student speaker with Active Minds. “Listening to stories is powerful. It’s life-changing, it’s life-saving and it’s healing.”

The tour recognizes September as National Suicide Prevention Month.

Jim Johnson, who is the founder of KyleCares, lost his son Kyle to suicide. After that, he started the KyleCares Foundation in his son’s honor and has partnered with schools across New England and donated money and resources to start and improve suicide prevention programs.

So far, KyleCares has partnered with 28 high schools across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine. Johnson said they plan to be in over 30 schools within the next month.

“I think hearing stories like Dayna’s and being part of an Active Minds chapter absolutely would have helped Kyle and given him hope and provided him an outlook on better days ahead,” Johnson said. “My hope is that Kyle’s story and this exhibit can somehow lead to the health improvement of other teens and young adults who might be struggling today like Kyle did.”