Black Tie Digital Marketing Is A Proud Platinum Sponsor Of To Write Love On Her Arms’ First Ever 5k Fundraising Event
Back to blog

Black Tie Digital Marketing Is A Proud Platinum Sponsor Of To Write Love On Her Arms’ First Ever 5k Fundraising Event

Black Tie Digital Marketing in Melbourne, Florida has become a Platinum sponsor for To Write Love On Her Arms’ first-ever “Run For It 5k” event being held on April 20, 2013. Black Tie Digital Marketing believes in TWLOHA’s mission of encouraging people to take an active and positive role in their own mental health. TWLOHA is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. They exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

TWLOHA was founded in the spring of 2006 with the message and a goal for everyone, which was “to believe that a better life was possible.” While TWLOHA has grown tremendously over the past seven years, this will be their first ever 5k-fundraiser event. The effects of exercise can aid in the alleviation of long-term depression by enhancing the action of endorphins. Psychologically, exercise can act as a mood enhancer by providing meaningful activity and a sense of accomplishment to someone who is struggling with depression and anxiety.

Scott Brazdo, CEO of Black Tie Digital Marketing, attended Satellite High School with the founder of TWLOHA, Jamie Tworkowski. Tworkowski’s story about his friend struggling with depression, addiction, and self-injury inspired Brazdo to support the fundraising efforts of TWLOHA. Black Tie Digital Marketing will have a booth set up at the event, supporting and encouraging the participants of the “Run For It 5k.”

“We believe that giving back is one of the most important things in life, and what we are called to do.  We feel so blessed to be able to support such a fantastic organization such as To Write Love On Her Arms, that is truly changing this world,” said Brazdo.

Along with Tworkowski and Brazdo, CJ Hobgood, world champion surfer, attended Satellite High School and is sponsored by TWLOHA. TWLOHA started a campaign called “Hope Goes Surfing” to bring a message of hope, help, and recovery to the surfing community. “With TWLOHA, we’re trying to do something that feels really different and really important. I’m taking a chance on them and they’re taking a chance on me, but it’s because we believe we have the chance to build something pretty special” said Hobgood. While this campaign was created with surfers in mind, the message is universal and should be shared with every single person, “It’s okay to ask for help.

Untreated depression is the leading cause of suicide and 2 out of 3 people who struggle with depression never get help. Tworkowski’s mission from the very beginning has been to help teens that struggle with anxiety, depression, and feel as if the best thing to do is to end their life. “You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story,” is part of the vision shared by Tworkowski on the TWLOHA’s website. Tworkowski travels all over the world, speaking at events and inspiring people to speak up about their own pain and keep hope alive. TWLOHA seeks to connect people treatment centers, websites, books, support groups, and other resources. They also encourage people to have honest conversations about these issues and to live in community. “Beyond treatment, we believe community is essential. People need other people. We were never meant to do life alone,” shared Tworkowski on TWLOHA’s website.

On December 12, 2011, To Write Love On Her Arms was awarded a $1 million grant from Chase Bank at the first-ever American Giving Awards. “The $1 million grant from Chase instantly changes what the next year will look like for us. It will allow us to be more creative than ever before in bringing our message of hope and help to the world. It also allows us to invest in treatment and recovery more than ever before,” said Tworkowski. TWLOHA works to support existing professional help organizations rather than replace them, so they send a portion of donations directly to causes such as: Hopeline, a community crisis center working to offer hope and the option to live to those in the deepest emotional pain, S.A.F.E. Alternatives, which is a treatment program for people who suffer from self-injury, and Minding Your Mind, who works to reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues among adolescents in middle school, high school and college.

The “Run For It 5k” is encouraging members in our community to run for a purpose on Saturday, April 20th. Whether you run to clear your own mind, to heal, or if you run to remember a loved one, there is a purpose behind every step.  Please support TWLOHA and run with us to continue taking positive steps in the direction of healthy living. Anyone from the ages of 8+ is encouraged to participate in the 5k. Pre-registration is available until April 19, 2013 and the fee is $20.00, and on race day it is $25.00. The proceeds from the 5k will go to support the efforts of TWLOHA and their vision of helping people who struggle with anxiety and depression find life, freedom, and love. To learn more about To Write Love On Her Arms, visit their website at https://www.twloha.com.