After three years of serving the community, the Team Alex Suicide Prevention Society is shutting down.
The non-profit organization said in a Facebook post that the president and founder of Team Alex, Brian Ennis is battling dementia.
Due to the circumstances, the board unanimously decided they could not continue without Ennis.
“On behalf of the leadership of Team Alex, we would like to thank all of our supporters, donors, and partners for your incredible generosity and support over the past three years,” as stated in the post. “We hope you will continue supporting other organizations fighting for our common goal of a world without suicide.”
The organization was created after Ennis’ son Alex, who was just 26 years old, took his own life in 2019. Once the organization was formed they made it their mission to create a world without suicide.
Team Alex provided training to coaches and volunteers in youth sports to help build confidence and self-esteem in young players but also how to recognize the signs youth may be struggling with mental health.
However, Red Deer Pond Hockey, which was also founded by Ennis will continue to use Team Alex training for their coaches. They will also add a mental health patch to their jerseys in memory of Alex and will hold an annual Alex Ennis Memorial hockey tournament.
