In February 2020, communities around Atlanta and at the University of Georgia were shocked by the sudden passing of Sam Asbury. To his peers, Sam had life completely figured out. He had just started his career at a prestigious financial firm, was an exceptional multi-sport athlete, and was the life of every party. To all of his buddies, Sam truly was “The Man”. But beneath the surface, Sam was fighting an exhausting mental battle no one could have possibly realized. Shortly after graduating and starting his professional career, Sam lost his fight to depression and took his own life.
Sam’s story, although heartbreaking, is not unique. Thousands of young men and women struggle silently with their mental health, depression, and suicidal ideation.
America is in the midst of a pervasive mental health crisis – and our young people are the ones most tightly suffocated in its stranglehold. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Americans aged 10–14 and 25–34, and the third leading cause among those 15–25. On college campuses, one in three students reports persistent sadness or hopelessness, and rates of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse have more than doubled in the past decade.
These stats and sentiments reflect the stories we too often hear about in our communities, in the headlines we scroll past, and in the lives of our friends and family. They uncover a generation carrying burdens they don’t know how to bear. And this generation – America’s future leaders – needs more than hashtags, virtue signaling, and one-off campaigns to lift them from their deepest valleys. What this generation needs are actionable tools, intentional training, and a culture of openness that empowers them to overcome life’s toughest challenges with strength and confidence.
That is what The Fight Against Suicide is achieving today.
The Fight Against Suicide is a charitable organization founded in the wake of Sam’s passing. A group of Sam’s fraternity brothers – grieving, unsure how to cope, but determined to rally the UGA community – chose to take action. They combined their passion for athletics and a newfound purpose to spark an open conversation about mental health.
Jackson Stuart fires up the crowd
Led entirely by student volunteers inside and outside of the ring, the inaugural Fight Against Suicide was held in Athens, Georgia on September 11th, 2021. The fight itself is a fully sanctioned event, complete with judges, referees, doctors, and trainers.
The goal was simple: raise money for suicide prevention and mental health awareness, memorialize a lost friend, and have a room full of spectators admit, “it’s ok, not to be ok”. But what began as a one-night boxing fundraiser evolved into something far greater.
Fast-forward to September 2025. Under the leadership of your authors (founder and President David Edmiston and ring announcer Jackson Stuart), along with a team of dedicated volunteers, the Fight Against Suicide has grown far beyond its origins and expanded its mission.
The Fight Against Suicide has hosted events at the University of Alabama, Auburn, and North Carolina State. This fall, in addition to celebrating our fifth anniversary at UGA, we will host inaugural events at the University of South Carolina, TCU, and SMU. Spring 2026 will bring four more new campuses into the fold, continuing the rapid expansion of our college presence.
Expansion only matters if we are able to truly impact the communities we visit. We do that through engaging events that bring campuses together and by putting every dollar raised back into our mission.
All proceeds are directed through the Sam Asbury Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit named in honor of the young man whose story sparked this movement. The Fight Against Suicide operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of the foundation, ensuring full alignment with its mission and oversight of all funds raised. One hundred percent of proceeds go directly to mental health non-profits doing boots-on-the-ground work, to direct support for students impacted by suicide, and to our signature campus-based initiative: Wellness Week.
Wellness Week is what sets The Fight Against Suicide apart. It is a student-led movement designed and driven by the very communities it serves. Spanning five to seven days at each campus, Wellness Week coordinates speaker series, suicide prevention and awareness trainings, fitness events, concerts, and community activation to create a culture that prioritizes mental fitness over mental illness.
And the impact doesn’t end when Wellness Week is over. On every campus we visit, we establish a Mental Illness Needs Discussion (M.I.N.D.) chapter, ensuring a year-round presence, continued conversations and events, and a sustainable framework for students to support one another long after the week concludes.
At the heart of every M.I.N.D. chapters are our Six Pillars of Mental Fitness: exercise, diet, community, meditation, reflection, and spirituality. These principles give students practical habits they can build into their daily lives, helping them pivot, regroup, and thrive — especially when life throws its hardest punches.
The Fight Against Suicide is more than a boxing event. It’s a movement reclaiming hope, destroying stigmas, and equipping young people with the tools to overcome their toughest battles. With every new campus, every new conversation, and every hand raised in the ring, we move one step closer to a culture where no student has to fight alone.
David Edmiston is the founder and president of The Fight Against Suicide while Jackson Stuart serves as ring announcer and director of fundraising.
