8th Annual Youth Event Inspires and Entertains to help bring awareness to the community and offer insight into resources available.
WHAT:
This eighth annual MY Fest is a FREE community event held to raise awareness about mental health,
MY Fest is planned and produced by the youth group MY LIFE in partnership
with Cyphers Center for Urban Arts and numerous other youth serving
organizations. Since MY Fest’s inception in 2008, more than 40,000 people have attended
the family-friendly event at Tempe Beach Park to learn more about resources and
services for youth and families.
MY Fest 2014 drew a crowd of nearly 10,000 people and featured 70 youth and family serving community and social service organizations. To get an idea of what MY Fest is all about, watch this MY Fest 2014 Video and this news story from the 2013 event MY Fest AZ on NBC News . and visit MY LIFE on Facebook and www.602Cyphers.com
MY Fest 2015 features:
·
Singing
sensation CeCe Peniston “Finally”
·
Cypher’s
Urban Arts Land
·
Dance
Battle Stage
·
Graffiti
Battle
·
DJ
Battle
·
Incredible
bands and hip hop artists
·
MY
LIFE Discovery activities and crafts for younger children
·
Free
food
·
Prizes
·
Plus,
more than 60 exhibitors with valuable youth and family resources
WHEN: Sunday, March 22, 2015
Noon to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Tempe Beach Park
54 W. Rio Salado
Parkway, Tempe
WHO:
MY LIFE and Cyphers Center for Urban Arts
(Interviews available with youth *)
WHY: MY Fest ’15 will
provide youth and families the opportunity to enjoy inspirational music, art
and entertainment, and learn about the many resources and caring support that
are available to them, in order to help “Break the Cycle” of some of these
devastating statistics
·
Arizona has
had the highest rate in the nation of binge drinking by high school students.
·
Arizona ranks fifth nationally in the rate
of children with substantiated
reports of abuse and neglect,
almost twice the national average
·
Currently statewide there are approximately 10,000 children in foster
care
·
Department
Of Justice identified Phoenix as one of the top human trafficking jurisdictions
in the country
·
In the U.S., among youth ages 10 to 19, 11 percent are estimated to
suffer from a serious mental disorder that causes functional impairment of
their day-to-day lives at home, in school and with peers. In Arizona, this
number translates to more than 97,000 youth who suffer from serious mental
illness.
·
Among Arizona youth, ages 12 to 17, 9 percent have suffered an episode
of serious depression.
·
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people, ages 11 to
21, in Arizona.
*(Statistics: U.S. Surgeon General, U.S. Census, SAMHSA,
Arizona Department of Health Services/Division of Behavioral Health Services)
COST: FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Interviews available
with Cypher’s Center for Urban Arts and MY LIFE Youth on site at MY Fest:
** Spanish language speaking youth will also be
available for interviews
Elijah Lucas 19,
(Mesa), Elijah
entered Child Protective Services (CPS) at the age of 4, and has dealt with
sexual abuse, bulling, and mental health issues. Elijah went through over 20 placements
while in CPS and now uses his voice to inspire and motivate youth to overcome
their own challenges, while making a difference in their communities.
Riley Gibson- 21 (Phoenix) Riley was In and out of CPS since he was 5, in
and out of numerous group homes and placements, Riley dropped out of high school
when he was 17 after attending numerous many high schools. Recently he earned
his GED. He joined MY LIFE in 2009 and 2012, became president of MY LIFE.
Through MY LIFE, Riley has had the opportunity to meet with legislators, lead
events like the MY Fest youth festival and share his story with other youth.
Said Riley, “MY LIFE is my life.”
###
Media Contact: Eva Louis, (602) 492-4843
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