Tony Nominated Actor Bryce Pinkham Runs the New York City Marathon for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention NYC Chapter One Year After Losing His Agent Mark Schlegel to Suicide

NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Every year, more than 44,900 people die by suicide in the United States, making suicide the 10^th leading cause of death in this country. In an effort to raise funds and awareness for suicide prevention, Tony Nominated Actor Bryce Pinkham will be running the New York City Marathon on November 4, for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's New York City Chapter.

"I am immensely honored to be joining the team representing the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's NYC Chapter in the New York City Marathon. I will be running every step of the 26.2 mile race not only in memory of my agent and friend Mark Schlegel who died by suicide a little over one year ago, but I will also be running for his family, his clients and his colleagues.  We make up only a few of the many survivors who will live forever affected by suicide and the loved ones it has taken from us," Bryce said. "I hope this campaign will help destigmatize suicide and add our voices to the critical conversation about mental health that is gaining momentum in our country and around the world.  With the support of my friends in the Broadway, TV and Film community, my goal is to cross the finish line not only having honored my dear friend Mark and raised funds to help save lives, but also having raised awareness about suicide prevention and provided the opportunity for others to share how mental illness has affected their lives".

Bryce will join 17 additional AFSP NYC Marathon Team members and hundreds of thousands across the country fundraising for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention through Out of the Darkness Walks, endurance events and personal events this fall. Bryce is launching his fundraising efforts during National Suicide Prevention Week (September 9-15, 2018) with a powerful video because this week the world is turning its attention to this critical issue. Bryce will be running with a goal of raising $5,000 for the fight to stop suicide.  He will be posting on social media using #realconvo, and enlisting his acting community to help amplify the message. You can view Bryce's announcement video on his Vimeo page.

"We are extremely grateful that Bryce is choosing to turn his personal tragedy into good by joining Team AFSP in the TCS New York City Marathon," said AFSP NYC Area Director Amy Monahan. "Bryce's campaign will shed much needed light on this leading but preventable cause of death."

Those wishing to donate to Bryce's fundraising efforts can go to https://bit.ly/2wPdxAT

Bryce Pinkham
An American stage and screen actor, Bryce is most widely known for originating the role of Monty Navarro in the Tony Award Winning production of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, for which he was nominated for a Tony, Grammy and Drama Desk Award. He also notably appeared in the Broadway revival of The Heidi Chronicles as Peter Patrone, for which he was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance in 2015. His other Broadway credits include original roles in Holiday Inn, Ghost, and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. In 2019 Bryce will star in a new musical from the creators of Next to Normal and Red called SUPERHERO. Bryce's television appearances include as a series regular on the second season of PBS' Civil War Drama Mercy Street, guest appearances in Baz Lurman's Netflix series The Get Down, and Robert DeNiro's feature film The Comedian as well as The Good Wife (CBS), Person of Interest (CBS) and Blindspot (NBC). As a singer Bryce has performed in concert venues across the country, most notably Carnegie Hall, Chicago Lyric Opera, Lincoln Center and The Library of Congress. As a writer, Bryce has published articles on acting, performing, and education in American Theater Magazine, Yale Alumni Magazine and others. In 2012 Bryce helped found Zara Aina, an NGO that uses the power of theatrical storytelling to empower at-risk youth. In May 2013, Bryce led a team of American artists on Zara Aina's pilot program to Madagascar. Bryce is also a frequent collaborator with Outside the Wire, a social impact theater company that serves many communities but particularly focuses on military audiences. His most notable international tours include Guantanamo Bay, Japan, Kuwait, and Qatar. A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Bryce was awarded the Leonore Annenberg Foundation Early Career Fellowship in 2012. Bryce holds a BA from Boston College and an MA from the Yale School of Drama.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention ? New York City Chapter is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide in NYC. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and walk with us to fight suicide in the five boroughs by visiting: afsp.org/walknyc

The TCS New York City Marathon is the largest marathon in the world and the signature event of New York Road Runners (NYRR), the world's premier community running organization. The race is held annually on the first Sunday of November and includes over 50,000 runners, from the world's top professional athletes to runners of all ages and abilities, including over 9,000 charity runners. Participants from approximately 140 countries tour the diverse neighborhoods of New York City's five boroughs?Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Manhattan. Race morning also features the Rising New York Road Runners Youth Invitational at the TCS New York City Marathon, a race within Central Park that finishes at the same finish line being crossed hours later by the marathon field. More than one million spectators and 10,000 volunteers line the city's streets in support of the runners, while millions more watch the globally televised broadcast. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization, is the premier partner of NYRR and the title sponsor of the TCS New York City Marathon. The 48th running of the TCS New York City Marathon is set for November 4, 2018. To learn more, visit http://www.tcsnycmarathon.org.

SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention