Suicide Awareness Voices of Education

Hi! My name is Cali Raukar and I am reaching out to you today in hopes that you can help me raise money for a very important cause. I am hoping to raise donations each year, starting this year, for my dad, Chad Raukar, who passed away and donate the funds to the Suicide Awareness Voices of Education or ("SAVE") charity organization.

My dad passed away a year ago on January 31, 2018 and I want to commemorate him. He was an amazing soul who I looked up to, cherished, and loved so much. Life is a roller coaster and I want to help others through their difficulties in life. I want to remember my dad by starting this page and educate people about how they can help their loved ones. It is a hard topic to discuss but the more we are open to understanding and helping, the more we can prevent it. I want people to know how special and loved they are. I think about my dad every day and this will help me heal in a positive light.

This cause is extremely important to me because I want to help prevent this outcome from happening to others. Any donation you can make would mean the world to me but, more importantly, it just might save someone's life by exposing them to an experienced support system with resources. It is super important to bring awareness to children and adults of all ages and taking the right steps to help yourself or anyone you know.  

I want to thank you in advance for any help you can provide! I appreciate it all.

Thank you so much!
XO Cali Raukar 

Here is a little more information about the SAVE organization and, if you have time, please check out their website at SAVE.org :

SAVE is the leading national suicide prevention organization working to prevent suicide through public awareness and education. Our expertise and capacity come from more than 25 years of developing the state of art suicide prevention programming and providing leadership around the nation and throughout the world. Our mission is to prevent suicide through public awareness and education, reduce stigma and serve as a resource for those touched by suicide.

36-Mile Swim for Suicide Awareness & Education 

Dear friends:

Five years ago this summer, Dave Kemmerling, my friend of 30-plus years, ended a long battle with depression by tragically taking his life. Dave was a fighter. He'd get knocked down time and again and amazingly, he'd get back up. He was one of the toughest people I’ve ever known, marathoner, triathlete, cancer survivor. Depression, unfortunately, proved to be Dave’s toughest foe, and it finally sapped him of the will to get up once more.

Dave left behind parents who cherished him, and younger siblings who admired him for his tenderness and tenacity. They are my family now and to support them, and others just like them, I'm embarking on a 36-mile swimming race  on the Red River on June 20th. It’s billed as the "longest swimming race in North America" and it’s more than 5-times further than I've ever swum competitively.

For Dave, who battled life on life’s terms for such a long time, I feel compelled to try this. Depending on water flow, temperature and wind conditions, I anticipate it'll take anywhere from 12-15 hours to complete. To me that's a pretty brief battle, when contrasted with Dave's lifetime of struggle. The optimist in me thinks I can do it. The pessimist thinks I'm nuts; there's only one way to find out which voice will prove prophetic.


So I'm asking for your support. We all know people who struggle in the shadows and silence of depression. Your support will go directly to SAVE , a Twin Cities-based nonprofit that relies on public support to accomplish its mission of "increasing public awareness of suicide, and providing education and resources."

And hey, if you can't support this endeavor financially, I get it, that's okay. This site makes you declare a campaign goal, so I grabbed a number out of thin air. That said, I would very much appreciate your good wishes for a swift current, cool water and strong winds out of the South to better propel me towards the finish line :-)

I love and miss you Dave. Ironically, we both know that if you were still here, you'd get a kick out of this effort and you'd be right there beside me in a kayak or canoe coaxing me onward.

Thanks...time to go carbo load!

Dan