Cheryl and I will be joining other awesome teams in the Climbing for Kids event on August 4. Last year's event was a blast and this year will be Cheryl's first 14'er and hiking up Mt. Bierstadt to raise money for Children's Hospital of Colorado to support Pediatric Mental Health.

A mental health crisis

Children’s Hospital Colorado has declared a “State of Emergency” for pediatric mental health in Colorado. We have reached a tipping point in our ability to address the pediatric mental health crisis: suicide is not only the leading cause of death for kids in our state, but also the leading cause for patients seeking care in the emergency departments across our System of Care.

The statistics are staggering, and the problem is simply too large and too complicated for any one institution to tackle alone. Our hope in making this bold statement is to bring greater attention and resources to bear as we seek to make progress in solving the current mental health crisis in Colorado and across the region.

Children’s Colorado is fortunate to have many trusted partners in the community, including donors and supporters like the Climbing for Kids participants who have contributed to our Pediatric Mental Health Institute and other mental health initiatives. With this call to action, we invite others to join us in helping the children and youth who need us!

Thank you for supporting Children's Hospital Colorado patients and families. Your contribution is greatly appreciated.