Milford renames park to honor memory of young man
Steve Hayden, of Stratford, does a trick at Milford Skate Park, which was renamed the Alexander Jordan Jamieson Memorial Skate Park at an event held in honor of him in Milford, Conn., on Saturday Oct. 12, 2019. AJ was a popular Milford teen who committed suicide earlier this year due to depression. Some of the event highlights included live music, night skating, food trucks and advocates for help dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts.
“We want to make every effort to get rid of the STIGMA that masks the depression and suicide crisis we are facing in our towns and cities. We cannot accomplish this dream without the support of each person, business and community.”
On Saturday, October 12th, the skate park located on 30 Washington Street in Milford was renamed in honor and memory of Alexander Jordan Jamieson.
Alex was a young and ambitious Connecticut resident who unfortunately took his own life on the first of May, 2019.
Within the short time I came to know him, I registered Alex as anyone else who knew him would- a caring soul who had a spark for kindness and music. Anyone involved in the Connecticut punk scene somewhere, somehow knew of Alex and his drive.
Besides music, he also loved to skate- hence the reason why Alexander Jordan Jamieson Foundation- formed in his honor- and its supporters pushed for the Milford park to be renamed “The Alexander Jordan Jamieson Memorial Skate Park” for their cause: “To Fight the Battle Against Depression and Suicide Through Music.”
Many kids and adults alike could vouch that skateboarding as a pastime plays a great part in helping us socialize or blow off steam. But, for the first time, Connecticut is seeing a program that not only encourages young skaters’ dreams, but also their wellbeing and mental health. And to me and many others, that’s so groundbreaking.
Since they first created the petition to change the name of the park, it quickly grew to bear over 3,000 signatures. The foundation has already begun to gain a lot of traction, and with supporters such as the Milford Board of Education, the Mayor of Milford and various local bands, they hope to keep growing.
With the intention to inform communities across the nation on mental illness and safe, healthy ways to cope, the AJJ Foundation is truly making “every effort to get rid of the STIGMA that masks the depression and suicide crisis we are facing in our towns and cities.”
If you would like to help support the Alexander Jordan Jamieson foundation in their fight to end the stigma around mental illness, you can donate through your mobile phone here: https://venmo.com/AJJFOUNDATION?previewMode=true
I am in the 12th grade. I took journalism as a way to improve my writing skills and keep up with the news. In the future I want to major in engineering...
