(Hunter Holmes | Photo courtesy of Hunter Holmes Memorial Fund)
Hunter Holmes was a 16 year old boy who took his own life on December 14, 2017. He was a loving son, brother and friend. He was loved and admired by all that knew him. Hunter had a smile that would light an entire room and a unique sense of humor. He was a gifted athlete, he played basketball, was the goalie and captain for the Redmond High School (RHS) soccer team, as well as captain for the RHS golf team.
In May 2018 the first annual Hunter Holmes Memorial Golf Tournament was held at Meadow Lakes Golf Course in Prineville. With 215 attendees and 50 raffle donors, this inaugural event raised over $8,000, with an additional $12,000 raised after the event, for a total of $20,000 raised last year. Hunter’s family and friends were blessed by this outpouring of community support, and quickly put these funds to good work. “We feel blessed and humbled to have such a great community, family and friends that support our efforts to turn our tragedy into bringing awareness to others in hopes to save a life,” said Travis and Erika Holmes, Hunter’s parents.
The Hunter Holmes Memorial Fund is a nonprofit which directs all funds to help finance, educate, counsel, train and support local kids, their families and their school here in Central Oregon, on suicide and the effects concussions have in youth sports. To date, the efforts and funds raised have gone to:
- Two $1,000 scholarships were awarded last year, the awards were based on kindness, empathy, and character, rather than academic success. Two more $1,000 scholarships will be awarded in 2019
- The “Safe Oregon” app installed on all Redmond School District Chromebooks
- A video was produced, to bring awareness on empathy and compassion towards others based on today’s issues that kids and adults face.
– over 3.4 million views on Facebook.
– over 18,000 views on YouTube
Many high schools and colleges around the country have used the video as a teaching tool. Craig Roberts, Clackamas County Sherriff and Chair of the Oregon Task Force on School Safety, has used the video in many of his conferences and projects.
- View video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6tesd1v8IM&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR20VgY-AhYDaSqgYzLxA-uNAoUHEKl06mq4GdNWCbKCnq40Rod-H45gu98
Kevin Bryant, district athletic director for the Redmond School District, states that the following activities have been accomplished this past year because of the Hunter Holmes Memorial Fund’s work:
- HH video has gone national through the OSAA and NFHS article and link (https://www.nfhs.org/articles/challenges-of-mental-health-issues-in-high-school -athletics/) written by Kevin Bryant and Cari Wood (Redmond HS athletic trainer) in HS Today published in February. Publication is available to every school in the country via the internet but hard copies are mailed to many schools nationwide.
- NATA Facebook live chat around the issues of mental health and HS athletics with Kevin and Cari
- OADA presentation by Cari Wood NATA NW conference
- Redmond School district has hired mental health counselors at each high school
- Awareness has been raised by our coaching staff around knowing more about kids mental and emotional health.
- Cari Wood has developed and shared a “Wellness Survey” to share with student athletes at Redmond on a weekly basis. Via the Remind App
- Looking into the impact of stress, anxiety and depression on our adult coaching staff through local work here with an organization.
- Outpouring of other athletes that have reached out to us, many of them suffered from similar symptoms as Hunter after a sports related concussion. We take comfort in letting them know they are not alone and there are resources to get them trough. Leaning that itss newer research and there is not a whole lot of supported data to study yet but it is needing to be studied. Now knowing that concussions can cause many different side effects, more data is being collected because of the awareness now and lot of new research is being conducted.
Proceeds from the 2019 Hunter Holmes Memorial Golf Tournament will go towards supporting the Crook County School District’s mental health services through Lutheran Community Services Northwest
Laura Placek, Crook County Mental Health director, says, “It is with humble appreciation and gratitude that we thank the Holmes family for naming Lutheran Community Services Northwest – Prineville as their 2019 Hunter Holmes Memorial Golf Tournament recipient. We are honored to be a part of this wonderful and important memorial for Hunter. It is with sincerity and humility that we pledge our dedication to education, prevention, and counseling services for youth and adults. The generosity from the Holmes family ensures and aids in our sustaining vital and necessary services here in Central Oregon and Crook County. We are honored for this gift and proud to support the mission and message of the Holmes family and the memory of Hunter.”
The Second Annual Hunter Holmes Memorial Golf Tournament will be held May 18 at Meadow Lakes Golf Course. You can support it by:
- Purchase a ticket and attend the golf tournament at https://www.facebook.com/hunterholmesmemorialgolftournament/
- Donate an item for the silent auction
- Make a donation to the Hunter Holmes Memorial Fund at Selco Community Credit Union, Account #616333
- Follow and SHARE the Hunter Holmes Memorial Fund on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hunterholmesmemorialgolftournament/
mailto:hhmemorialfund@yahoo.com
Facebook – Hunter Holmes Memorial Golf Tournament
