THE anniversary of Majestic Cinemas CEO Kieren Dell’s daughter Maddy taking her own life has driven the organisation to create an annual fundraising memorial, the Reach For Help Week, running from 23-29 September, 2021.

From every ticket sold between 23-29 September, Majestic Cinemas will donate $1 to Suicide Prevention Australia.

“My team wanted to do two things; one was to contribute and raise awareness of suicide prevention, and secondly, open up the dialogue and talk about suicide,” Kieren told News Of The Area.

“There was a time when people didn’t mention the word suicide, it wasn’t talked about enough.

“I want to add my voice to the suicide prevention conversation as someone who has been through it, not only as the CEO of Majestic Cinemas, but as Chair of Regional Development Australia Mid North Coast and my local Chamber of Commerce in Port Macquarie, for us all to be more aware of this scourge, and to raise money that helps support Suicide Prevention Australia.

“We pride ourselves on ‘sticking up our hand’ to support a variety of causes in all our local areas via our cinemas, and we have done so for many years,” said Kieren.

“I knew we could do more, especially at a time where we are all feeling the stresses and strains of lockdowns.

“Reach for Help week will be an annual event held in honour of my daughter Maddy and every other family that has lost loved ones, in the hope we can help to prevent it happening in future.”

The inaugural event will take place across the middle week of the September school holidays with Majestic Cinemas hoping the timing will help raise significant funds for the charity organisation and this important cause.

“Whilst our business is a place of entertainment, it can also be a place of education and we can use our voice to inform our local communities of the support services that are available to them.

“The school holidays always bring out extra moviegoers and the fact it is also the anniversary of losing our Maddy, it’s fitting that we can commemorate her life, raise funds and educate others to Reach for Help all at the same time,” said Kieren.

 

By Andrea FERRARI