Community honors memory of Aaron Hussman with ribbon ceremony to promote mental health awareness

Aaron Hassman will be remembered this month at a ceremony hosted by his family and a local mothers’ group to raise awareness of mental health among students.

The second annual ribbon ceremony honoring Aaron is scheduled for Sunday, April 21, from 2 to 3 p.m., in the parking lot of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 13600 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie. Aaron, a senior at Eden Prairie High School (EPHS), passed away by suicide on April 10, 2023.

Participants will receive a green ribbon to symbolize mental health awareness and honor Aaron’s favorite color, which they can display in their neighborhood or community.

“The baseball (team), track and field team, and other students will be using this as a visual reminder that mental health is important and that Aaron is not forgotten,” Aaron’s mother, Tui, said in an email. “We’re going to tie ribbons throughout the community.”

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In addition to the ribbons, the mothers’ group will be handing out silicone wristbands featuring “text/call 988” and 4Aaron.com, the website Tui created to honor her son. Cub Foods is donating the refreshment funds for the ceremony, and organizers hope to have more charitable donations available on their website.

Denise Holtz, a member of the mothers group organizing the event, said she has ordered enough wristbands for the April 21 ceremony. These will also be distributed at the EPHS Senior Party.

“As we mark Mental Health Awareness Month in May and Aaron’s senior class finishes their high school experience and begins thinking about college and what lies beyond, we hope this article serves as a reminder for them. ” said Tui. “We all know how stressful that period and transition can be.”

Aaron’s induction ceremony was held shortly after his death last April and was attended by approximately 100 students, family members, community leaders, faculty and staff.

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Since then, Aaron’s family and a group of mothers have worked to raise awareness and financially support organizations focused on mental health. Initiatives included holding a garage sale and holiday and home decor sample sale at Eden Prairie Center in the fall, as well as a 2023 Powder Puff football game sponsored by the high school’s DECA chapter.

These efforts bore fruit. For example, the mall sale raised more than $25,000, of which $2,500 was donated to the Minnesota chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the remainder to the Minnesota Grief Club in Chanhassen.

Holtz, who has a son the same age as Aaron, said the mothers’ group was formed last June to support Tui and is made up of friends of the Husman family. It started with a series of luncheons at Tavern 4&5 restaurant and then focused on organizing a mall sale.

Tui receives a lot of support at Grief Club. Members of her mothers’ group have been helping Tui there with tasks such as cutting ribbons and contributing to the nonprofit’s various projects.

“This is just a way for me to connect with Tui during the school day and when (Aaron’s father) Jamie is at work,” Holtz said. “We all want to find ways to connect.”

Community support extends beyond the event itself. Mr. Shields donated $10,000 to the Aaron Husman Memorial Scholarship, administered by the Eden Prairie School Foundation.

This scholarship aims to support one or two senior students each year who have been personally or indirectly affected by a mental health problem. The first of her two $1,000 scholarships will be selected in April and awarded at a ceremony at the high school in May.

Anyone in crisis can call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or text MN 741741 for trained counselors available 24/7. Please contact. If you or a loved one is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1 and request Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) personnel.