PRESS RELEASE

Media contact: Emily Morrison

emorrison@usmhs.org

860-774-2020, 860-617-6133

Putnam’s Rotary Park was filled once again Saturday with live music and local residents and families enjoying the beautiful day and the free family event, Particle Accelerator: A Day of Music and Hope.

Particle Accelerator is an annual benefit concert that raises awareness for suicide and depression and funds for United Services. Saturday marked the 18^th annual concert and raised just over $11,000 for local community behavioral health services.

The free, all day music festival featured 15 bands playing music of all genres and for all ages. The concert began at noon and continued until after 8 p.m. Little B’s BBQ returned to the event this year and several craft vendors also attended.

The festival started in 2007 by family and friends of Putnam resident Jack Young Jr., who died by suicide on his 27^th birthday that year. Event organizers include Grace and Jack Young Sr. and Eric and Sandy Gould, all of Putnam.

The annual benefit concert has two main goals, organizers said. The first is to raise funds and awareness to support United Services, Inc., the community behavioral health center serving 21 towns in northeastern Connecticut, including Putnam, for more than 60 years.

“Particle Accelerator is an opportunity to come together and support each other and talk about the importance of access to mental health services, and we are grateful to everyone who makes it happen,” said United Services President/CEO Diane L. Manning.

United Services is northeastern Connecticut’s nonprofit Local Mental Health Authority and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, with clinical locations in Dayville and Mansfield Center. United Services operates more than 30 programs under one administration, including outpatient mental health for adults, children and families, substance abuse treatment, primary care, family services and parenting programs, crisis services and the region’s only domestic violence program.

Performers Saturday included: Kala Farnham, Llama Tsunami, The Papa Joe Show, Fleet, ILYAIMY, White Rose Confession, B Dolan and more.

The second event goal is to provide information and support for depression and suicide prevention, while promoting music and civic engagement as a healthy alternative to drug and alcohol abuse among young adults.

Saturday brought large crowds to the park, where residents could also learn about local mental health and other social service resources from United Services, the Windham County chapter for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the Norwich Vet Center and Northeast Opportunities for Wellness (NOW), who also set up an obstacle course for kids to enjoy at the event.

Particle Accelerator’s Wall of Angels, a moving tribute to friends and family members lost to suicide, honored 333 people this year with photos on the wall.