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Casey's Smile hosts wheeling for the struggle to raise awareness for suicide

Posted at 11:53 AM, Sep 24, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-24 14:09:47-04

Casey's Smile is a non-profit organization that has a goal of raising awareness for suicide prevention.

Don Carlisle created this organization after his son Casey Carlisle a former marine died by suicide in 2018. Casey was 26-years-old.

"He was a father of two beautiful little girls, he was a brother, he was my son and I couldn't have asked for anybody else," said Don Carlisle. "You should never lay your kids to rest."

This weekend Casey's Smile will host their second Wheeling for the Struggle event in an effort to get people outdoors and heal.

"We took our off-road community and incorporated our Casey's Smile group," said Carlisle. "We can bring people out to enjoy the wilderness and set your mind free."

Wheeling for the Struggle will take place this weekend as friends and family will camp out at Mack's Creek near Idaho City.

Casey's Smile will also conduct a ride to Miner's Grave Saturday morning and follow it up with food on Saturday night.

Carlisle tells us that anybody who is having a difficult time because of depression, mental health issues or addiction are welcome to join.

"It really hits it home for me I can't explain the emotions, but I will say everybody's life matters," said Carlise.

Off-roading in the Idaho outdoors also helps Casey Carlisle's family and friends heal and remember this former marine who had a passion for putting the pedal to the metal.

"Every chance he got, he was either taking his Acura two-door car down in Alabama off-road, trying to jump it as high as he could," said Carlisle. "He was very big into it, he was a wild child."

Casey's Smile held their first out of state Wheeling for the Struggle in Utah this summer.

They will be selling t-shirts and sweatshirts to raise money for this non-profit this weekend.

The Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7, and the number for the hotline is 1-800-273-8255.