LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Students at Park Middle School shared a message of hope and mental health awareness on Wednesday by filling the school’s cafeteria with handmade decorative butterflies.

In recognition of Suicide Prevention Day, Week, and Month, members of the school’s Hope Squad invited classmates, staff, and teachers to join them over lunch in creating butterflies decorated with encouraging messages and positive reminders for anyone struggling with their mental health.

Richelle Dowding, the group’s facilitator, said while suicide deaths have declined in recent years, it’s still one of the leading causes of death for young people ages 10 to 24.

“My father died by suicide when I was 12, and so supporting this cause has always been really important to me,” Dowding said. “The more we

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