Cornell University

Support The Sophie Fund: Our 2025 Donor Appeal

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We mark Sophie’s birthday every August with our annual fundraising appeal.

This year we are suggesting something a little bit different: Consider a donation to the Cayuga Swim for Mental Health, a community fundraiser to benefit The Sophie Fund.

In 2024, we were approached by two remarkable women, veteran marathon swimmers (one of them has done the English Channel), announcing their plan for a joint swim the entire 38-mile length of Cayuga Lake. They set the date for August 8-9, 2025

Claire de Boer and Bridgette Hobart have both lost young nephews to suicide, Rowan and Corey, and proposed using this swim in their memory to collect donations for The Sophie Fund.

Claire de Boer and Bridgette Hobart at Cayuga Lake (Credit: Alex Bayer/Cornell University)

Read about their remarkable aquatic achievements and passion for supporting suicide prevention in the Cornell Chronicle.

Please consider a donation today to the Cayuga Swim for Mental Health to support The Sophie Fund’s work aiding the mental health of young people in the Ithaca and Tompkins County communities.

To Make a Donation:

Click Here for the Cayuga Swim for Mental Health

(Direct donations to The Sophie Fund, at THIS LINK, are always welcome, of course.)

100% of donations go directly toward the grants we provide to mental health providers and community organizations for training and programming; and to our modest operating costs.

Although Sophie was never a marathoner, she was a happy early swimmer: here she is, age 2, plunging into a pool in South Africa where was was born in 1992.

The Sophie Fund’s current goals in need of funding include:

—Suicide prevention training for physicians, clinicians, and social workers.

—Hosting a forum introducing the Zero Suicide Model to Tompkins County primary care practices.

—Publishing local mental health guides: Mental Health Support & Suicide Prevention for Schools in Tompkins County; A Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health; A Student’s Guide to College Student Mental Health; and Bullying Prevention Resources for Schools and Families in Tompkins County.

—Tompkins County’s “United in Kindness” community events in October for National Bullying Prevention Month, organized by the Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force which The Sophie Fund coordinates.

—Hosting our 10th Annual Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest on October 18 to raise awareness about mental health challenges and supports; this year’s event will include a one-hour presentation by the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Some of The Sophie Fund’s recent activities:

Tompkins County Suicide Care Pathway. As coordinator of the Tompkins County Suicide Prevention Coalition’s Healthcare Work Group, we moderated a roundtable of healthcare leaders on April 23 to map the suicide care pathway in the county. Twenty leaders from 13 organizations representing hospitals, campus health centers, primary care practices, behavioral health clinics, crisis responders, emergency departments, and inpatient units participated in the initiative.

Cupcake Button Campaign. Our 2024 “Cupcake Button” fundraising campaign with Cornell University student organizations collected $1,055.00 for the Ithaca Free Clinic. The clinic provides medical and other health services to clients regardless of their ability to pay. Participating groups included Cornell Circle K; Pre-Professional Association Towards Careers in Health (PATCH); Alpha Phi Omega Gamma Chapter; and Cornell Minds Matter.

Sexual Assault Awareness. The Cornell University student organization RISEUP and The Sophie Fund launched a social media campaign in April to promote Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Together we created and posted infographics on our platforms about resources to contact for help, behaviors to recognize, plans of action, general statistics about sexual assault, and more.

Suicide Prevention Training. For the fourth year in a row, we sponsored the participation of Tompkins County healthcare professionals in a two-day online suicide prevention training featuring some of the nation’s leading experts. “Suicide Safer Care in Clinical Practice,” organized by The Wellness Institute, took place on March 19-20. The training covered treating youth suicidality, lethal means counseling, brief interventions, treatment pathways, and other topics. Since 2022, The Sophie Fund has now provided free suicide prevention training through The Wellness Institute for more than 200 clinicians in Tompkins County, including the counseling center staffs of Cornell University and Ithaca College.

Mental Health Support & Suicide Prevention for Schools in Tompkins County. This is a guide to local resources, training opportunities, and toolkits for strategic planning for student mental health and suicide prevention. The guide was developed by The Sophie Fund, Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service of Tompkins County, National Alliance on Mental Illness Finger Lakes, Mental Health Association in Tompkins County, and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Greater Central New York.

5 Simple Steps. The Sophie Fund partnered with local organizations to design a self-help pocket guide for navigating a mental health crisis. It is based on the Stanley-Brown Safety Planning Intervention. NAMI Finger Lakes received a grant to print 1,000 copies of the guide in sticker format so be posted in school bathrooms etc.

Bullying Prevention Task Force. In our capacity as coordinator of the task force, we participated in seven meetings of a group at South Hill Elementary School working on a bullying prevention strategy for the 2025-26 school year.

Better Together for Mental Health. The Sophie Fund was a co-sponsor again in May 2025 of the annual mental health festival in Stewart Park. We provided funds for the Family Activities Pavilion, which hosted children-focused activities including story-telling, crafts, and games. The Family Reading Partnership gave away free copies of the illustrated children’s book “How Starling Got his Speckles,” also with sponsorship from The Sophie Fund.

Walks for Mental Health. We participated and provided an information tables at the fundraising walks in Spring 2025: NAMI Finger Lakes walk in Stewart Park and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention campus walk at Cornell University.

The Sophie Fund was established in 2016 as a nonprofit advocacy organization supporting mental health initiatives aiding young people in the Ithaca area. We are a member of the New York State Suicide Prevention Council, and recipient of several honors: 2018 New York State Excellence in Suicide Prevention Award; 2023 MHANYS Friend of MHA Award; 2024 Agda Osborn Award; and 2024 James J. Byrnes Award for Excellence.

A Cornell Campus Walk to Prevent Suicide

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Under sunny Spring skies, 200 students, staff, and faculty raised more than $12,600 on April 13 in the third annual Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide prevention on the Cornell University campus.

Cornell Dance Team in the Out of the Darkness Walk

Dispatched by the Big Red Marching Band, participants including the Cornell Dance Team, squash and fencing athletes, and the superhero known as the Cornell Batman trekked a two-mile route from Barton Hall along Garden Avenue, to Tower Road, and then Campus Road back to the starting point.

“You are making a difference,” said walk organizer Cheyanne Scholl, welcoming the participants inside Barton Hall. “You decided today that mental health and suicide prevention is an important issue and needs to be talked about. I applaud and appreciate every single one of you for being here and standing up in the fight against suicide and raising awareness for mental health issues.”

Walking on Garden Avenue

Audrey McDougal, a licensed social worker with Cornell’s NY FarmNet, related that she has seen firsthand how mental health challenges and emotional pain can isolate people at a time when they are in greatest need of connection. She said she loves the “Strength in Numbers” motto of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

“The Warriors use this motto to indicate their selflessness, the power in everyone having a role. It speaks to collective effort, of what we can accomplish when we are not alone. At the Out of Darkness walks, I see countless people who are willing to bear witness to pain together. I see people talking about the hard things, accepting others without judgment, and overcoming the fear that can arise with offering—and accepting—help. I see strength in numbers,” McDougal said.

Audrey McDougal of Cornell’s NY FarmNet

Closing out the program, John Grealish, a fourth-year student in the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, performed “Rainbows Over Coeur d’Alene” in memory of a friend and fellow Cornell vet student, Yiannis Stathopoulos, who died by suicide in 2022.

Grealish’s original song was inspired by his experience at a veterinary leadership retreat in Idaho, which Stathopoulos had attended a year earlier shortly before his death. During a boat ride in the rain on Lake Coeur d’Alene, the participants sang “Lean on Me” in Stathopoulos’s memory. Grealish recalled that when they stepped ashore, a rainbow suddenly appeared overhead.

“Anyone who knew Yiannis would know that this is a person who was a source of brightness and friendship to everyone. He was accepting of everyone. He was a natural born leader,” Grealish said.

John Grealish performs “Rainbows Over Coeur d’Alene”

About 600 Out of the Darkness walks are held across the United States each year by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to raise awareness, collect research funds, give hope and show solidarity to those who struggle with suicidal thoughts and to suicide loss survivors, and send a message that “suicide is preventable and no one is alone.”

In 2023, 173 college campus walks with 26,000 participants raised $1.6 million. So far, the three Cornell walks from 2023 to 2025 have collected more than $44,000 in donations.

Among the participants in the 2025 Cornell Walk were 13 fundraising teams, with the Cornell HR Community Walk Team bringing in the most funds, $1,765. Other top teams included the Cornell Out of the Darkness Planning Committee, Cornell Athletics, and Team Hope. Leon and Jules Ginenthal were the top two individual fundraisers, with $735 and $663, respectively.

Participants were provided with “honor beads,” necklaces in vibrant colors signifying their connection to the suicide prevention cause—white for the loss of a child, red for the loss of a spouse or partner, gold for the loss of a parent, orange for the loss of a sibling, purple for the loss of a friend or relative, silver for the loss of a first responder or military member, green for personal attempt or struggle, teal for someone who struggles or has attempted suicide, blue for supporting the cause, and rainbow for the LGBTQ+ community.

A light to guide through the darkness

This year’s sponsors included: Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service of Tompkins County; Cornell University NY FarmNet; Halco Home Solutions; Zach Clark State Farm; Be Kind Ithaca; Taste of Thai Express; and Big Red Barbershop.

Cornellians left messages on the “Why We Walk” wall:

To support the cause

For myself and my brother. You are not alone!

In memory of Nick Budney

For my best friend Holly

To give someone hope

For the friends I almost lost. There is hope beyond the darkness.

To show up for those who could not. Even for themselves.

To remind myself that I am not alone

A light to guide through the darkness—Batman

CHAOS CREATES CHANGE!!

Your life is more precious than money, grades, human determinations of success. There is only one you and you are irreplaceable.

The things that make you are beautiful

You deserve to be here

Talk about it! PLEASE!

For Jack. I miss you!

You are loved!

Ask for help

Why We Walk

How are you feeling right now?

Hope Walks Here

A beautiful day for a walk

Along Tower Road

Organizer Cheyanne Scholl addresses the walkers

Participants in Barton Hall

Honor Bead ceremony

Cornell Health

NAMI Finger Lakes

Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service of Tompkins County

Advocacy Center of Tompkins County

#StopSuicide

Cheyanne Scholl and the AFSP Team

Photo Credits: Basie Bagnini Nagel/AFSP and The Sophie Fund

If you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.

At Cornell University on April 13, Join the Walk to Prevent Suicide

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Surveys show that poor mental health can hit college students hard. Many struggling students feel that they are alone. I am part of a dedicated group of mental health advocates at Cornell University proving that is not the case. We are working hard to raise awareness about suicide and fight the stigma that keeps many from getting help.

Photo credits: Cornell AFSP

On Sunday April 13, our Cornell volunteer committee of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will host the third annual Out of the Darkness Campus Walk at Cornell.

The 2023 and 2024 walks brought participation from hundreds of students, faculty, and staff and raised more than $40,000 for AFSP research and programming. Our ambitious goal this year is to collect $25,000 in donations.

More than 500 AFSP Out of the Darkness walks are held across the country each year. Besides raising funds, the walks send a message that “suicide is preventable, and no one is alone,” and help build a community around mental health. They show solidarity and bring hope for suicide attempt survivors or loss survivors.

Click here to register, create a fundraising team, or donate to the Walk

This year’s Cornell Walk begins in Barton Hall and follows an accessible two-mile route through the center of the beautiful Cornell campus. It is for people of all fitness levels and abilities. Participants may also walk/roll on Barton Hall’s indoor track.

Fundraising or donating are not requirements to take part in the Walk; everyone from the Cornell community and beyond is welcome.

Walk check-in begins at 11 a.m. in Barton Hall. The event starts 12 Noon with a brief kickoff ceremony; a mental health resource fair featuring local and campus health providers; yard games; a raffle with donated items from local and campus businesses; a memorial and positivity sticky note wall; snacks including cotton candy and popcorn; and a selfie station with Cornell’s own mascot, Touchdown the Big Red Bear.

Speakers include Audrey McDougal, a family consultant with NY FarmNet at Cornell, and Cornell students Disha Mudener and John Grealish.

Sponsors of this year’s Cornell Walk include: the Cornell Work/Life Team; Suicide Prevention and Crisis Services of Tompkins County; NY FarmNet; Halco Home Solutions; Zach Clark State Farm; Be Kind Ithaca; Free Hugs Ithaca; Sumo; and Taste of Thai Express.

For me, as for many other volunteers, Out of the Darkness walks are deeply personal. Just as I was starting college in 2017, I was introduced to AFSP in a traumatic period after my longtime friend Jack Noonan took his own life. The loss of Jack permanently changed who I am. I miss him every day and started my volunteer work in his memory.

Our organizing committee consists of more than 20 members: passionate undergraduates, graduate students, post-graduate students, staff members, faculty members, and local community members. Our goal is to let everyone know that, you matter, you are important, your mental health matters. We don’t want anyone to feel like they are the only ones struggling. So many of us are struggling and we can struggle together and support each other.

Another goal this year is to share mental and physical health resources as far and wide as possible. As mental health and minority groups are under attack right now, we want to spread a message of belonging. We want everyone to know that they are loved, they are wanted, and they matter.

If our countless hours of Walk organizing means just one person seeks and receives help, it is worth every second.

—By Cheyanne Scholl

Cheyanne Scholl is the founder of the Cornell University Out of the Darkness Walk and chair for the 2025 Walk. If you are interested in joining AFSP’s local efforts, please contact Cheyanne at cornellafsp@gmail.com.

If you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional, you can call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.

For AFSP support and/or other resources, please visit www.afsp.org/get-help and www.afsp.org/resources.

Fundraising to Support Healthcare for All

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The Sophie Fund’s 2024 “Cupcake Button” fundraising campaign collected $1,055.00 for the Ithaca Free Clinic.

The campaign was spearheaded by several Cornell University student organizations: Cornell Circle K; Pre-Professional Association Towards Careers in Health (PATCH); Alpha Phi Omega Gamma Chapter (APO); and Cornell Minds Matter.

Leah Goddard, Scott MacLeod, Hunter Leach

At a luncheon at the Statler Hotel on March 21, Circle K Co-Presidents Leah Goddard and Hunter Leach delivered a check for the Ithaca Free Clinic.

“Circle K was proud to support the Ithaca Free Clinic through the Sophie Fund fundraiser. Our Halloween-themed sugar cookie and apple cider sale brought our club together for a meaningful cause,” said Goddard.

“We’re especially thankful for the opportunity to contribute to the Free Clinic’s mission of providing compassionate, accessible healthcare, and we look forward to supporting this important work for years to come,” added Leach.

Click here to make a donation to the Ithaca Free Clinic

“Many thanks to The Sophie Fund and the Cornell students for raising such a sizable contribution! We are so grateful for your support!” said Ithaca Free Clinic Executive Director Norbert McCloskey.

The Ithaca Free Clinic provides medical and other health services to clients regardless of their ability to pay. It primarily serves individuals who are without health insurance, or whose health insurance does not cover the services they need.

According to McCloskey, the Free Clinic provides healthcare services to people who earn too much to be eligible for Medicaid, are too young to be eligible for Medicare, and do not earn nearly enough to afford usable, low copay and low deductible health insurance plans available through the Affordable Care Act’s Market Place.

In the first eight months of 2024, the Free Clinic provided free health care services to 671 individuals (438 female patients and 233 male patients) in 1,269 scheduled appointments.

Representatives from PATCH, Cornell Circle K, Alpha Phi Omega, and Cornell Minds Matter

“PATCH is deeply committed to supporting equitable healthcare, so raising money for the Ithaca Free Clinic was incredibly meaningful to us,” said Lily Ehsan, PATCH’s community service co-chair.

 “As future healthcare professionals, we’re proud to contribute to an organization that provides essential care to our local community regardless of income or insurance status. It was inspiring to see so many Cornell students come together in support of such an important cause.”

The Ithaca Free Clinic receives no federal or state financial funding, completely relying on community support in the form of monetary donations, in-kind donations, and the generous donation of the time and talent of its volunteers.

It opened in 2006 as one of the first to offer both primary medical and holistic care through an integrated model. The Ithaca Health Alliance is a 501(c)3 organization that sponsors and operates the Ithaca Free Clinic. The Alliance has been dedicated to seeking solutions to local healthcare challenges since 1997.

The Sophie Fund organizes the Cupcake Button campaign and the related Annual Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest each fall to promote mental health awareness and raise monies for local nonprofits supporting community mental health. Donors receive a Cupcake Button featuring the image of a cupcake created by Sophie Hack MacLeod, a Cornell art student who died by suicide in 2016 for whom The Sophie Fund is named.

Scott MacLeod, co-founder of The Sophie Fund, expressed his appreciation to the Cornell student organizations for supporting the Ithaca Free Clinic.

“It is gratifying to see Cornell students stepping up to partner with community organizations. The Sophie Fund is proud to work alongside Cornell organizations to advance mental health not only on their campus but in the greater Ithaca community as well.

“In these challenging times, all of us were especially passionate to support the Ithaca Free Clinic, and Norb McCloskey and his team, true champions of healthcare.”

MacLeod said that since 2017 the Cupcake Button campaigns have raised a total of $7,667.66 for eight local nonprofits supporting mental health: Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service of Tompkins County; Mental Health Association in Tompkins County; Advocacy Center of Tompkins County; the Village at Ithaca; The Learning Web; NAMI-Finger Lakes; Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca; and the Ithaca Free Clinic.

NEW: 2024 Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health

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Do you have a child in college? These stressful times require parents to fully grasp the serious mental health challenges their students may face, and be equipped to provide support. Did you know that the majority of college students today meet the criteria for at least one mental health problem? Or that college counseling centers are often overwhelmed?

DOWNLOAD: A Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health (PDF)

Rates of depression and anxiety are high among college students. In fact, many students carry suicidal thoughts. Sexual assault is prevalent among college students. Hazing violence as an initiation rite at fraternities and some student organizations is a serious problem.

All of these factors pose even greater risks for students who arrive on campus with a mental health or substance use disorder.

Failure to understand these realities of college student life today, and to help with issues that may arise, can lead to serious consequences.

The Sophie Fund provides this updated guide to help parents—especially those whose children are attending college in Ithaca—better understand the challenges and how to deal with them.

DOWNLOAD: A Parent’s Guide to College Student Mental Health (PDF)