A Community Evening for Suicide Prevention, Mental Health Awareness & Hope
Hope is real. Help is real. You are not alone.
On Friday, September 18, we’re bringing our community together at Babylonia Hall in Toms River for an evening built around one simple but powerful message: you matter, your story matters, and none of us have to navigate life alone.
Together We Shine is more than a fundraiser. It is a space to connect, learn, heal, remember, discover resources, support one another, and experience what can happen when a community chooses to show up.
You do not need to practice yoga. You do not need to be connected to Pure Toms River Yoga. You do not need to have the right words or even a personal connection to suicide loss.
Maybe you’ve struggled with your own mental health. Maybe you love someone who has. Maybe you’ve experienced loss. Maybe you want to learn how to better support the people around you. Or maybe you simply believe in creating a community where people feel seen, supported, and less alone.
There is a place for you here.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 | 3–9 PM
Babylonia Hall
213 NJ-37, Toms River, NJ 08753
Admission is a donation of any amount.
Proceeds benefit To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) and support the work of bringing hope, mental health resources, and connection to people who need it.
Come for an hour. Stay for the evening Experience it your way
Together We Shine was created to bring conversations about mental health and suicide prevention out into the open—not only through education, but through connection, movement, creativity, healing, resources, food, laughter, conversation, and simply being together.
This isn’t an event you need to have a certain connection to attend. You don’t need to practice yoga. You don’t need to know anyone at Pure. You don’t need to have personally experienced suicide loss, and you don’t need to be struggling with your mental health.
You simply need to be part of the community.
Maybe you come because you want to learn how to better support someone you love. Maybe you’ve experienced grief or struggled yourself. Maybe you’re looking for local mental health resources but don’t know where to start. Maybe you want to explore a new wellness practice. Or maybe you just want to spend an afternoon supporting local businesses, eating good food, participating in activities, and helping us raise money for an organization doing meaningful work.
There is something here for you.
Explore + Connect + Participate
Between scheduled experiences, there will be plenty happening throughout Babylonia Hall.
Create something meaningful at the You Are the Vibes Affirmation Art experience, test yourself with the Plank Challenge, Spin the Wheel, visit our Mental Health & Wellness Resource Tables, browse our Vendor Village, check out the raffle prizes, and meet the organizations and people providing resources right here in our community.
And from 4–6 PM, B98.5 will be broadcasting live from the event.
Bring the Kids
Together We Shine is a family-friendly event, and we want even our youngest guests to walk away with the message that feelings matter, asking for help is brave, and no one has to feel alone.
Our Kids Corner will include glitter tattoos and balloon animals with Premier Parties and Picnics. We will also have yoga and breathwork, friendship-bracelet making, arts and crafts, and more. Donations are accepted for Kids Corner activities.
Eat + Stay Awhile
You don’t have to rush home for dinner. Food and drinks will be available throughout the event thanks to an amazing group of local restaurants, businesses, and community supporters.
Food will be available for donation, with drinks available for purchase and a portion of proceeds supporting the campaign for Juice Basin, Tastefully Done Events, and Due-Back Coffee.
Healing + One-on-One Wellness Experiences
Throughout the event, you’ll have the opportunity to experience different approaches to relaxation, self-care, mindfulness, and healing. There is no one way to heal, and part of this event is giving our community an opportunity to discover practices they may never have experienced before.
$15 donation sessions include:
Chakra Aligning Reiki with Fox + Moon
20-minute individual Reiki sessions designed to create a quiet space to slow down, reconnect, and experience energy work.
Reiki + Vibroacoustic with Hannah Mary
Experience Reiki paired with vibroacoustic elements for a unique mind-body relaxation experience.
Sessions are available beginning at 3 PM, with appointments continuing into the evening. Select sessions are even available during the 7 PM Yoga + Sound Bowl Experience for an extra relaxing atmosphere.
Shamanic Energy Sessions
A 25-minute, one-on-one Earth-based energy healing experience using awareness and connection to help you feel more grounded, balanced, present, and connected to yourself. These sessions offer a space to slow down, tune inward, and notice what may be asking for your attention. $15 donation; appointments available beginning at 4 PM.
Massage + Bodywork
Choose from Chair Massage or Barefoot Shiatsu Mat sessions. Twenty-minute appointment times begin at 3 PM and continue throughout the evening, including select appointments during the Wellness Experience. $15 donation.
You’ll also be able to explore additional experiences including hand-poke tattoos by Norali and tarot readings with Love and Alignment.
SIGN-UPS ARE AVAILABLE FOR SELECT WELLNESS EXPERIENCES.
Because these are individual sessions, appointment times are limited. Reserve a time in advance when available, or check for remaining openings at the event.
Included Experiences + Conversations
You don’t have to sign up for everything. Several experiences are included with your event admission donation and are designed so you can simply join us throughout the afternoon.
3:30 PM | Listening Within: Energy & the Body with Shawnee River
Learn about Shamanic energy and intuitive eating and explore a different way of thinking about the connection between our bodies, energy, and awareness.
4 PM | EFT Tapping Experience with Giovanna Coppola
Try a simple mind-body technique combining gentle tapping on specific points of the body with focused awareness to help release stress, shift emotions, and feel more grounded.
4:30 PM | Words Matter: The Power of Affirmations with Erica Knoll of You Are the Vibe
The words we say to ourselves matter. Explore affirmation, inner dialogue, and the idea of Speak It. Believe It. Become It.
5 PM | Holding Space: Grief, Healing & Hope with Stephanie Lamancusa
A conversation about recognizing when you—or someone you love—may need support, how to reach out, and where to begin when you don’t know where to look for help.
6 PM | Build Your Confidence: Strength in Mind & Body with Master Keith of Kum Sung Martial Arts
Get involved in an interactive experience using movement, martial arts techniques, and mindful practices to explore confidence, awareness, and strength from within.
7 PM | Our Signature Wellness Experience
At 7 PM, we come together for the centerpiece of the evening: a 75-Minute Gentle Yoga + Sound Bowl Wellness Experience.
Begin with an accessible, all-levels gentle yoga experience led by Kim Corby, followed by a deeply restorative crystal singing bowl meditation with Kate of Vibe Sessions.
You don’t need to be “good at yoga.” You don’t need experience. This is simply an opportunity to move, breathe, receive, and share a little stillness with the people around you.
Registration is $35 for this experience. Your registration includes admission to the entire Together We Shine event plus one complimentary raffle ticket when you preregister.
Advance sign-up is available and strongly encouraged as space is limited.
8:15 PM | The Evening Isn’t Over
Following the Wellness Experience, you’ll have another opportunity from approximately 8:15–8:40 PM to visit vendors, check out wellness offerings, grab your final raffle tickets, and make sure you’ve entered for the prizes you’ve been eyeing all evening.
Then, around 8:40 PM, we’ll gather for our Community Raffle Celebration.