The Acadia Hospital won a Silver Award in the Special Events category for its role in coordinating and promoting the PALS Youth Suicide Prevention Project in the spring of 2005. The award was presented at the Maine Public Relations Council’s (MPRC) annual Golden Arrow Awards ceremony held at the Stone House in Freeport, December 1, 2005.

Acadia worked in partnership with Penobscot Theatre to produce and offer the play to area high schools in the spring of 2005. Ten high schools participated over a three week period, with over 2,000 students viewing the play and participating in the post-performance discussion.

“Acadia Hospital's PALS program was selected for a Silver Award because of their outstanding efforts with impressive results. The Award given out by Maine Public Relations Council recognizes Acadia Hospital's special event as one of the best in the state,” said MPRC President Michelle Clements.

The 1,800 completed surveys indicated an increased awareness of the issue of youth suicide and of the prevention resources that are available.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by MPRC for providing quality youth outreach education on such an important topic,” commented Acadia Hospital CEO/CNO Dorothy E. Hill, RNC. “Our collaboration with Penobscot Theatre ensured a very high quality experience for the students who saw the show, as was indicated in the survey feedback.”

The program was funded in part by Bangor Noontime Rotary, the Auxiliary of Eastern Maine Medical Center, the Michael Irons Memorial Endowment, and the National Endowment for the Arts.