Brunswick couple breaks previous fundraising record for FrontLine Service to prevent suicide
From left to right; Susan Neth, FrontLine Service Executive Director, Laura and Joe Martovitz, donors, and Corrie Taylor, FrontLine Service Development Director, standing together after hand off their donation to the organization.
CLEVELAND – After raising $2,660 last year after their Ride for Life Poker Run, Laura, and Joe Martovitz didn’t know if they’d raise much more than that in 2021.
They were surprised by the number of donations that flowed through their 9th annual Ride for Life Poker Run this year, and so proud to present a check for $5,606 to FrontLine Service, to be used to support work done by the agency’s Mobile Crisis Team and suicide prevention hotline.
Last year, the couple’s fundraiser faced many hurdles, including terrible weather, low attendance, and a global pandemic. This year, while still confronting challenges from the pandemic, the event’s weather was perfect for a weekend ride. The only time it rained, Joe said, was right at the tail end of the event.
The attendance and participation were much greater than last year and the generosity remained at an all-time high. One of the largest donors was the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9520 in Brunswick, who made a $1,000 donation. The VFW Post’s Senior Vice Commander Rick Smith urged other organizations in attendance to match their gift in some way, with the Brunswick American Legion Post 20 offering $500.
Another large donation came from one of the stops on the Poker Run, the Draft House Saloon, who raffled off a basket containing various types of alcoholic beverages, and gave all the proceeds, $700, to the fundraiser. Even those as far away as Florida, who were unable to attend the event, sent checks to ensure that the Martovitz's Ride for Life Poker Run was a success.
The Ride For Life Poker Run is a fundraising event that has been held for nine years, specifically to support suicide prevention. Participants are primarily motorcyclists and they, with a handful of other vehicle drivers, join together on the first Saturday of August to travel a pre-designed course spanning more than 70 miles. Along the way, bikers and drivers make stops at local businesses and organizations to receive a stamp after purchasing a beverage.
After getting a stamp from all four stops, participants draw five random cards out of a deck at the end of the Run. Based on the rules of poker, the person with the highest hand wins $150 cash. This year, the highest hand was 3-of-a-kind.
The event is also a place where people who have lost a loved one to suicide can share their feelings and experiences with one another and find the support they need.
“This run helps me. I’ve had people come to me saying that they lost someone to suicide and they're glad we do this. We honor those who we lose. We support each other because without that support we’d be in a real dark place. I was there and once, I reached out, I am able to deal with it much better now,” Laura said, then smiled. “This run helps, it is my therapy.”
Joe and Laura described Jeremiah, Laura’s son, as a caring young man who seemed shy but would open up once he got to know you. Laura was shocked when Jeremiah died by suicide and desperately wishes that she had seen the signs indicating how deeply he was struggling before the unthinkable occurred. Jeremiah had begun to shut himself off from the world leading up to his death, turning to alcohol consumption and spending more and more time in his room. He is survived by his wife, four children, and a grandchild.
Laura wants to make sure people know how important it is to talk openly about mental illness and suicide. Though it can be a taboo subject for many, she said it might have helped Jeremiah and so many others, if they had felt more comfortable communicating to their friends and family that they needed help. Laura said she spent the first three years following her son’s death in distress. She then decided she wanted to convert her pain into something positive for others experiencing similar grief.
She began attending events for suicide awareness and prevention which inspired her to start the Ride For Life Poker Run. It was there that she truly began to share and listen to other people tell their stories about how they also lost a loved one to suicide. She recalled meeting a mother whose children witnessed her husband taking his life.
That’s when she learned that FrontLine Service’s Traumatic Loss Response Team arrived on the scene to help the family psychologically. She saw FrontLine's mobile crisis team and suicide prevention services in action. She then knew that she wanted to support the agency in the provision of these services.
“It gives me great pride that we donate this money to FrontLine because I see what they do,” Laura said. “All around, it is a blessing.”
Over the years, Laura and Joe Martovitz have raised more than $10,000 for FrontLine Service, which supports services provided through FrontLine Service’s Mobile Crisis Team and the 24/7 suicide prevention hotline. Thanks to donations from people like Laura and Joe Martovitz, FrontLine provides constant supportive and caring licensed clinicians for people in crisis or their loved ones who need help.
The couple hopes to have an even larger event next year and plan for something special to celebrate the event’s 10-year anniversary. They are hopeful that they will be able to find sponsors and supporters of this event, as they believe that it touches many lives. Learn more about the event on their website. If you are interested, please contact Laura at: laura48m@gmail.com
ABOUT FRONTLINE SERVICE
FrontLine Service reaches out and serves those that are vulnerable in our community – children traumatized by violence, people who are homeless, and those struggling with mental illness or suicidal thoughts – with empathy and commitment to their dignity.
Our Mission Statement: Reaching out to adults and children in Northeast Ohio to end homelessness, prevent suicide, resolve behavioral health crises, and overcome trauma.