“I don't want others to have to die like I did before they start to live.”
Those are the words of Robb Nash, a survivor, musician, and a man who travels from school to school, community to community, inspiring youth to overcome their battles with bullying, addictions, and suicide, showing them that they have a purpose.
“We're not trying to change anyone's life. We're trying to make people okay with who they are. If change is supposed to happen in your life, that conviction comes from within,” said Nash. “Out of the 426 suicide notes I've been handed in the last little while, they all have one thing in common: they all say 'I feel insignificant' or 'I don't have purpose.'”
On March 4, Nash and his band will be coming to the area with the Robb Nash Project. During the day, they will be giving their message to around 800 students from Bonnyville-area high schools. That evening, he will be passing along that same information to parents in the community at a fundraising gala at Glendon RCMP Hall, hosted by Lakeland Friends.
“I lost my dad to suicide a year and a half ago and then I lost a really close friend this past August. I had a chance to meet Robb last fall at the Westlock Soul Sisters gala. As soon as I met him, I just felt like the message he had was something that needed to be shared without the Lakeland area. There's been a little too much tragedy for any one person to handle around here,” explained Jeanine Nagy, co-chair of Lakeland Friends, a non-profit group that previously raised money for STARS Air Ambulance.
Nagy added, “He's such an energizing speaker and he brings such a strong message. One of the things he talks about the most is empowering (students) and teaching them to lead lives of significance. They need to be told that they're valuable members of society and that they're important.”
When Nash says he doesn't want others to have to die like he did, he's not speaking figuratively. At 17-years-old, he was pronounced dead by first responders following a horrific car crash. While he managed to pull through, when he woke from his coma. Nash found himself in a dark, isolated place.
“I got through that darkness and I started to wonder how many other kids out there are like me and going through this darkness, not wanting to talk about it and holding it in. I know how dangerous that was for me,” said Nash.
There is no lack of groups and individuals who do presentations about drugs, drinking and driving, or bullying but with the Robb Nash Project they cover all of topics in one performance. In an effort to better connect with the youth, the group uses music and videos to grab their attention.
Over the five years since they started, Nash and his band have travelled to communities across the country, sometimes being asked to speak right after a tragedy.
“Some people think you need to see tragedy in order to learn, and I completely disagree with that. I think we can learn from the tragedies we've seen already,” expressed Nash. “ It's not just about removing the stigma and getting kids to admit there's something different about them mentally and emotionally. We're trying to get them to embrace it and then learn how to channel it so that we can use that very part of their life, the area that they think they're cursed, and help them see that they're not cursed in that area, that's actually right where your gifts are.”
Giving purpose to the community's youth will be the focus during the day, but during the evening gala in Glendon, Nash will be going one step further by making sure their parents and the adults in the community understand the same message.
“A lot of parents, the kids come home from the shows, and they want to know, ‘What did you say to my kid to affect them so drastically?’” he said. In the evening, Nash will talk to adults about what he discusses with the students. “I think it's important for them to hear this message that we've given to their kids so they can go home and have that communication and conversation so that everyone is on the same page.”
Joining Nash and his band for the gala will be celebrity MC Danny Hooper. Organizers will also be ensuring that a wealth of information is available regarding mental health and contact information for helplines and health groups. Not only will the gala be providing parents and community members with a valuable message, it will also be raising money for a good cause.
Funds raised from the gala will be going back to Robb Nash Project, which is a free presentation for any school in the country.
“We don't want this to be a one shot deal where he comes to the Lakeland and visits our kids. We want him to keep on coming because there's always going to be new people to talk to,” explained Nagy. “We're hoping by fundraising for him this year, the organizers of the Robb Nash Project have said they'll come back next year in March. They'll slot this time for us, so we would be able to open it up to the middle schools and surrounding areas – Cold Lake, St. Paul, Lac La Biche, Elk Point.”
The Robb Nash Project will be at the Centennial Centre on March 4. The gala will be held that evening at the Glendon RCMP Hall at 6 p.m. For tickets, contact Jeanine Nagy at 780-573-5503.
For more information on the Robb Nash Project, and Robb Nash himself, go to robbnash.com.
