LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, a Lima mother is continuing her efforts to keep attention focused on mental health and suicide prevention.
Kim Bader lost her son, Nicholas, to suicide seven years ago. Since then, she has created the Dear Nicholas Foundation to raise awareness and support the Mental Health Board of Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties. In 2024, the Dear Nicholas Bow Tie Event raised $7,500 for the cause. The fundraiser is held every two years and features an evening centered on hope, healing and community support. This year’s event is scheduled for June 4.
“It's not just a gender and it's not just a status in our community. It reaches everybody from young to old and we just want to make that known out there,” said Bader. “We want people to see that there is help out there. There is support, but we still need to continue with this conversation.”
Tickets for the Dear Nicholas Bow Tie Event are now on sale through the Veterans Memorial Civic and Convention Center box office. Organizers say the event’s bow tie theme was chosen because it was one of Nicholas’ favorite accessories.
