In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, The Preservation Framer in downtown North Attleborough will be hosting a Raffle/Silent Auction Fundraising event in memory of Cassie Jia-Lin Chee on Friday, May 20, from 7-10 p.m.
One hundred percent of all sales will support Cassie’s Cause, a 501(c)(3) foundation dedicated to increasing the education and awareness around mental health, as well as eradicating the stigmas associated with mental illness. It is also dedicated to the prevention of suicide in young adults. This foundation was launched by Cassie’s family in June of 2021.
The vision of Cassie’s Cause
- Tackle the lack of education and stigma associated with mental illness by supporting organizations that provide initiatives in schools and giving kids a safe place to talk about their mental health struggles.
- Go before legislation and push for government funding and better public mental health facilities.
- Work with insurance companies and providers to better streamline ways for those suffering, or in crisis, to get immediate help.
- Provide a scholarship each year for a graduating senior of NAHS who is furthering their education around either mental health, art therapy, or spiritual psychology.
Please visit the website www.cassiescause.com for additional information.
Cassie Jia-Lin Chee was born in Nanning, China on Aug. 14, 2002, and brought to a local Chinese orphanage just two days after her birth. At 15 months old, Cassie was adopted into an American home, where she resided with her family until her sudden passing on Jan. 21, 2020.
Cassie had a passion and talent for the arts. In her early years, she won awards for her drawings. She shared her passion for music with a local church and school community. In her high school years, she pursued her love of film. Her exceptional artistic and creative talent was an inspiration to those that saw and heard her work.
Cassie’s talents did not stop there. She was very passionate about the environment as well as the marginalized, and strove to make a difference in the world. She was a kind and considerate person who was acutely aware of those around her. She understood sadness and made efforts to reach out to others who, like herself, were struggling with anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Unfortunately, Cassie succumbed to the disease of mental illness at the young age of 17 and completed suicide.
It is her family’s desire to keep Cassie’s spirit alive by continuing the fight against mental illness, suicide ideation, and the stigmas associated with this disease by always bringing these issues into the light.
The fundraiser will include a silent auction of select pieces of Cassie’s artwork. Her work, including her greeting cards, will also be for sale. There will be a Mental Health/Wellness Basket to raffle. Live music, hors d’oeuvres and wine. The recipient of 2022 NAHS Graduating Senior Scholarship will be announced.
