The Amazing Day Foundation, created by Bob Feliciano, paired up with Sigma Pi Fraternity at Oregon State University to raise awareness about suicide among college students.

Feliciano formed the Amazing Day Foundation after his son, Sean Feliciano, died by suicide while attending UCSB.

As the Amazing Day Foundation Chair, Evan Canizares, a sophomore at OSU, describes, “Sean was in good standings with the school, he had a lot of friends, and didn’t show any outward signs of depression or suicide.”

In some cases, signs of depression and suicidal actions can be less apparent. This is why Feliciano created the Amazing Day Foundation: to let people know that, “Suicide is real, it’s not just something you hear on the news,” said Canizares.

Sigma Pi’s goal for their philanthropy is to get the student body involved with the cause and to attend their events, in hopes of attaining their biggest goal of raising $5,000. Last year, they managed to raise $3,500 and would like to beat this previous amount.

“Any money raised is used for awareness, counseling, and reducing the suicides of college students. We want students to reach out to the suicide hotline, 1-800-273-8255, and different resources on campus like CAPS and #DAMWORTHIT,” said Jacob Weitzel, a junior in Sigma Pi.

The rates of suicide have increased significantly since 1950 for young adults. It is the second leading cause of death among college students.

“It’s important to raise money for the Amazing Day Foundation because we are the only Greek house that raises money for suicide awareness and prevention. I believe our society needs to be more active and aware of the growing problem of suicide,” said Nixxon, Montgomery, a sophomore in Sigma Pi.

Starting Tuesday, Feb. 6, you can find Sigma Pi at the MU, where you can “Pie a Pi” for just two dollars. On Feb. 7,the main event will be an emotional speech by Feliciano himself at 6 p.m. in Milam Hall, room 026.

“Wednesday is the most important event for us because Bob Feliciano’s story impacts everyone on a more personal level, and hearing a personal story rather than just statistics can have a deeper impact on listeners,” said Weitzel.

To end their philanthropy on a more lighthearted note, on Thursday, Feb. 8th there will be a pie eating contest at Sigma Pi.