strength over suicide email archive

competitor emails:

sent 9/6

Hello everyone!
We are so excited and counting down the days until our inaugural “Mental Health X Strength” Community Event, Strength Over Suicide (SOS) - and we know you are, too!

You'll hear from us a couple times between now and September 27 - we want to make sure you have all the info you need so you can approach the event confidently and with your questions answered.

Today's email will cover topics such as *we need your t-shirt sizes, please*, how you can get your hands on the comp equipment, fundraising ideas, info about some special on-site services, a great opportunity to pre-order some sweet DMG and SOS swag, and more:

Thank You!
First, thank you all again for registering early and already making our first SOS a success! Our top priority for the competition aspect is to provide our athletes with an awesome experience, and we appreciate your trust in us. We are humbled and grateful for the support from our incredible community. We’re also thankful that you are joining us in supporting our event beneficiary, Six Feet Over

IMPORTANT! We Need Your T-Shirt Size!
We’re thrilled to share that we have generously received the funds to cover the cost of a comp t-shirt for every competitor! The following unisex t-shirt sizes are available: XSmall, Small, Medium, Large, XLarge, 2XLarge, 3XLarge, & 4XLarge. Please respond to this email with your name and shirt size no later than this Sunday, September 7 (we need to place the order on Monday, September 8 in order to get them in time for the event). Thank you!

Fundraising Ideas
Want to get in on the feel-good fun of raising funds for Six Feet Over? Here are some ideas:

Per-Pound/Per-Rep Pledges
- Deadlift: “Pledge $0.25 per pound I pull on my max deadlift.”
- Bench for Reps: “Pledge $1 per rep I press.”
- Farmers Walk: “Pledge $0.50 for every 10 feet I carry the weight.”
- Sandbag Load: “Pledge $2 per successful load over the bar.”

Fundraising Challenges

- “If I hit 405 on deadlift, I’ll do a crazy costume lift or share a funny video.”
- “If I raise $500, I’ll train in a tutu.”

Social Media Mini-Campaigns
Run your own 7- or 14-day social media campaigns with:
- Daily training clips or “why I’m lifting” reflections
- Donation links
- Infographics or stats about suicide prevention

Mini Fundraising Events
Ideas to get your gym / school / church / club / workplace involved:
- Bake sale, raffle, or donation-based group workout
- “Guess my max” contest for a small entry fee
- Partner with a local business for a fundraising day (e.g., 10% of proceeds donated)

Corporate Matching or Sponsorships
- Check if your employer offers donation-matching, or if they’d sponsor you in exchange for a social media shout-out or other promotion

Team-Based Fundraising
- Form teams and set collective goals, pooling pledges and encouraging some friendly competition among teams

Have your own ideas? Please share them with us!

Come Train With Us @ DMG!
- Please join us at DMG to dial in your training for SOS! We're offering the following options for SOS athletes:
- A discounted drop-in rate of $75 cash for 5 visits ($15/ visit; normally $20/visit)
- Individual day passes, weekly passes, and monthly passes are available to purchase on our website https://tinyurl.com/DMGGUESTPASS. After purchase, please follow the instructions to complete the liability waiver and contact us to set up your visit

Family / Friends / Spectators / Community Members - The More The Merrier!
Everyone is welcome to join us at SOS to connect with others, find resources, cheer on their friends and family - for whatever reason they’d like! Entry is donation-based; please pay what you can, if you can. Donations may be made at the door via cash, Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal. Spectators may enter the event starting at 8am with a competitor, or on their own when the expo begins at 9am. Competition spectators should also plan to bring their own seating (camp chairs, folding chairs, etc.)

Game Day On-site Bodywork Services!
‎Michigan Rehab and Performance will be onsite to help get you in prime condition to do your best at SOS! The goal of Michigan Rehab and Performance is to help their clients live a high-performance and pain-free life. Dr. Jake Centala, DPT, will be on hand to offer various treatments to keep you in the game. Treatments will have a nominal $10 fee, 100% of which will go to Six Feet Over. They also participate in education, advocacy, and development efforts in specific areas related to combating chronic disease.

Order DMG & SOS Swag!
With fall fast approaching, now's the perfect time to order a cozy, comfortable DMG OG logo crewneck, hoodie, beanie, and - new this fall - cropped hoodies, long-sleeve athletic tees, and embroidered 1/4 zips! Or for those of us who live in a perpetual summer state of mind, you can still order tanks and tees! You can also pre-order a 2025 Strength Over Suicide t-shirt! Check out our merch here https://tinyurl.com/DMGSHOP and be sure to place your order by Sunday, September 7 so you can pick it up at SOS. Thanks so much for your support!

Please Share SOS
We'd really appreciate it if you'd share SOS with your family and friends, and encourage everyone to get involved, whether as a spectator/supporter, sponsor, volunteer, or even simply by sharing our upcoming SOS social media posts. Any support is meaningful and appreciated!

That's all for now! Our next email will cover some comp FAQs, plus any new developments and important reminders.

Have a question? Please reply to this email or text Jen at 920.843.0719, or Justin at 734.934.3266.

Wishing you all happy and safe training!