Top 5 Live PC Give PC Moments + A HUGE Thank You!
YOU MATTER.
This was the theme of CONNECT Summit County’s Live PC Give PC 2019 campaign…and the message certainly rang true.
“We are thrilled to have 170 individual donors from all parts of Summit County,” says CONNECT Executive Director Deanna Rhodes. “The support from these donors demonstrates the importance of our work in the community. We are proud to be the people’s voice in mental health and look forward to next year when we embark on a community-wide destigmatization campaign.” 
We asked out staff to share their favorite memories from the day and here are a few highlights.
Top Five Live PC Give PC Moments
- We were all touched when Laura, a longtime supporter of CONNECT, made a donation accompanied by a note. She told her us her daughter has struggled with mental illness and they have found our programs–as well as all our resources, newsletter and links–all very helpful. “I should be thanking you all, actually,” she praised.
- For Volunteer Coordinator Faylene Weinman, “The best part for me was simply feeling the love. This community is so supportive of us and our mission. I love that a husband and wife couple drove all the way from Peoa to spend some time with us and to make a donation. The fact that their daughter speaks so highly of us that her parents came to support us really made me proud. It’s a treat to get to hear from people that we’ve helped and to realize what an impact we are making in their lives and this community.”
- Database Coordinator Flor Ambario said that no matter where she went, she could see groups of amazing people standing on each block jumping, smiling and being so positive. “I loved walking up Main Street taking pictures with community members that cared about our mission without asking for anything in return. It made me smile when we were at our Donation Station at the MARC and a nice man from the Sunrise Rotary photobombed our staff photo with a donation.” She went on to talk about a man who saw one of CONNECT’s signs, “1 in 5 Utahns lives with a mental illness.” He pointed to the sign, then to himself and said: “I am one of the five.” Ambario says it showed that our community is growing increasingly more comfortable talking about these difficult situations.
- CONNECT staffers gathered together with volunteers and Board Members for a pizza party that afternoon. Board member Cindy Roy Levine loved watching the interactions between the staff, volunteers and donors. “But… my favorite was when a gentleman quietly walked in with a $20 bill to donate. He thanked us for a particular speaker and told us how much it helped him and how he appreciated the work CONNECT does. It warmed my heart and made me so proud to be a part of this organization. The ripple effect… it touches individuals, families and even communities.”
- Communications Manager Amber Johnson’s favorite moment was when she and Flor walked along the Poison Creek Trail near Main Street. They would often stop to take pictures in front of the brightly-colored murals in the tunnels. As they passed through the “Life in the Ontario Mine” underpass, the juxtaposition with the bright colors of the outside world caused them to pause and really look at the dark, cold sequences of life in the mining underworld splayed across the walls.“Let’s get out of here,” Amber coaxed and just as they started to walk away, Flor said, “Look,” and pointed up.
There, on the ceiling was a tiny patch of blue sky. If you were hurriedly passing through—or just focused on the dark walls—you would miss it.
Amber says, “Do yourself a favor the next time you pass through that tunnel: Stop and look up. You’ll see a beloved pet curiously peeking into the mine and, most importantly, a ladder leading skyward. A way out. A powerful reminder that even when it seems like you’re shrouded in darkness, that light is always there.”
Thank you to all who brought light to our mission! You may still donate to CONNECT at Live PC Give PC.