EUGENE, Ore. -- A Churchill High School student is being nationally recognized for his work to end suicide.
Over the last two years, 16-year-old Carson Lydon has been balancing two school sports, leading a club at Churchill and being involved in community suicide outreach.
To recognize all of the work he has done, Lydon has been awarded the Youth ERA's national Highlight the Hope award.
His work with suicide prevention started when Lydon lost two friends to suicide over a two-year period.
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He didn't want anyone else to go through what he did or see anyone else take their own life.
In his most recent work in suicide prevention, Lydon helped his team raise $17,000 for the Out of the Darkness walk in Eugene.
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That $17,000 is the most raised by any team in that walk in Oregon and across the entire nation.
Lydon said for him, it's all about helping others.
"I of course do the A World Free of Suicide movement, and I also run a club here at Churchill called the Acts of Kindness club," Lydon said. "We're all about spreading kindness and positivity around the school community and such. Then I do a lot of outreach programs with Youth ERA and stuff like that just to spread youth positivity."
He said his ultimate goal is to rid the world of suicide.
