Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

2026 Together We Shine

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Awareness
Together We Shine Wellness Campaign 2026
We invite you to join us for our 7th Annual Suicide Prevention Awareness Campaign in support of To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA).

OUR STORY

People often ask why we chose the name Together We Shine. The answer is simple. Because no one shines alone.

Every one of us will experience seasons of joy, loss, uncertainty, celebration, grief, and growth. During life’s hardest moments, it’s often the people around us—the friend who checks in, the family member who listens, the neighbor who shows up, or the stranger who offers kindness—who help us find our light again.

At Pure Toms River Yoga, we’ve witnessed that firsthand. Over the years, our studio has become so much more than a place to practice yoga. It’s become a community where friendships are formed, milestones are celebrated, and people show up for one another through life’s highest highs and deepest lows.

We’ve also experienced heartbreaking loss. Members of our community have lost friends, parents, children, siblings, classmates, coworkers, and loved ones to suicide. We’ve stood beside those navigating anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, and the silent struggles that so often go unseen.

Those experiences reminded us of something powerful: healing isn’t meant to happen alone.

That’s why we created Together We Shine. Because when one person’s light feels dim, the rest of us can help carry it until it shines again.

Together We Shine is more than an event—it’s a promise that our community will continue showing up for one another, creating safe spaces for honest conversations, breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, and reminding every person who walks through our doors that they matter.

Because hope grows brighter when it’s shared. And when we come together, we all shine a little brighter.

Donate • Join Events • Become a Sponsor

Why TWLOHA

Hi, for those who may not know me, my name is Ashley DeSaro the sometimes organized, often coffee-fueled one-woman show behind Pure Toms River Yoga. Twenty years ago, long before Pure I attended a music festival where I stumbled upon a small organization called To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) in their first year as a non-profit. I stopped to listen. For the first time, I heard people openly talking about depression, suicide, addiction, and mental health—not with judgment, but with honesty, compassion, and hope. Back then, those conversations simply weren’t happening the way they are today, and hearing someone’s story left a lasting impression on me.

Something about their mission stayed with me. I began supporting TWLOHA since because I believed in what they stood for: reminding people that hope is real and that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Looking back, I realize those experiences helped shape who I would become. Even before Pure existed, I was drawn to creating spaces where people could feel seen, supported, and connected. Maybe helping others was always part of my calling—I just hadn’t discovered that yoga would become the vehicle. I didn’t create the Pure logo, but I immediately connected with the symbolism of the lotus flower. A lotus doesn’t grow in perfect conditions—it rises from muddy waters, pushing through darkness before blooming into something beautiful. To me, that’s what healing looks like. Like the lotus, we can continue to grow, find hope, and bloom despite what we’ve been through.

That symbolism has become the heart of Pure and the heart of Together We Shine. No matter where you’ve been or what you’re carrying, there is always hope, and you never have to walk the journey alone. Today, after witnessing members of our own community lose loved ones to suicide and watching so many people quietly navigate anxiety, depression, grief, and other mental health challenges, Together We Shine has become deeply personal. It’s our way of creating the kind of space I wish everyone had—a place where conversations are welcomed, connections are formed, and hope is always present. Enough about me… let’s make this story about us. who’s ready to shine with us? We’d love to have you be part of something truly special.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Together We Shine is powered by people who believe that community can make a difference. Whether you have time, resources, products, or simply a passion for helping others, there’s a place for you.

CLICK HERE to explore all the ways you can get involved—including volunteering, sponsoring, donating raffle items, becoming a vendor, sharing your talents, or joining our event team.

Coming Soon! Ways to Donate

We’re putting the finishing touches on a few exciting additions to Together We Shine including DIRECT DONATES

Together We Shine 2026 T-Shirts

Show your support all year long with our official event shirts. Every purchase helps support our mission of bringing hope, connection, and mental health awareness to our community. with the help of our shine sponsors they help make this possible – check the bottom of this page for all sponsors

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🎟️ Raffle Baskets and Prizes

Incredible raffle baskets, experiences, and prizes our being donated by our amazing local businesses and sponsors. Check back to browse the prizes and start planning which baskets you’ll be hoping to win! Raffle page opens at the end of August.

Stay tuned—more details are coming soon, and trust us, you won’t want to miss what’s in store! WANT TO DONATE SOMETHING – FILLL OUT OUR GOOGLE DOC HERE

COMMUNITY WELLNESS EVENING

Join us on Friday, September 18 at Babylonia Hall (213 NJ-37, Toms River, NJ) for an unforgettable evening of hope, healing, and connection during Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, benefiting To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA).

Whether you’ve been personally affected by mental health, have lost someone to suicide, support someone who is struggling, or simply believe that kindness and community can change lives, this evening is for you. You don’t have to have a connection to Pure Toms River Yoga to belong here—our goal is to bring the entire community together and remind one another that no one is ever alone.

From 3:00–7:00 PM, Babylonia Hall will transform into a community wellness experience filled with inspiring guest speakers, wellness talks, local nonprofits, mental health organizations, massage and Reiki sessions, community resources, local businesses, shopping, interactive wellness experiences, family-friendly activities, delicious food, and one of our biggest raffles yet. Wander at your own pace, meet incredible people, discover local organizations, and experience the strength of a community that shows up for one another.

At 7:00 PM, you’re invited to our signature 75-Minute Yoga & Sound Bowl Experience led by Kim Corby, followed by a deeply restorative crystal singing bowl meditation with Kate of Vibe Sessions. This all-levels experience is open to everyone and offers a chance to slow down, breathe, reflect, and reconnect with yourself and those around you.

Following the class, from 8:15–8:40 PM, enjoy one final opportunity to shop with vendors, experience wellness offerings, purchase raffle tickets, and enter to win before our community raffle celebration begins at approximately 8:40 PM.

Admission to the Community Wellness Evening is by a donation of any amount. Throughout the evening, many of the wellness experiences, including massage and Reiki sessions, will also be available for a suggested donation, and food will be available for donation. Every dollar raised helps support To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) and our shared mission of bringing hope, promoting mental health awareness, and connecting people with life-changing resources.

The 75-Minute Yoga & Sound Bowl Experience requires a $35 registration, which includes admission to the event and one free raffle ticket when you preregister. More than anything, we hope you’ll join us because one conversation can inspire hope, one connection can remind someone they matter, and one evening can strengthen an entire community.

Please Note: This event will be held at Babylonia Hall, 213 NJ-37, Toms River, NJ 08753 and not at Pure Toms River Yoga.

Event Calendar

Our Together We Shine campaign is more than one evening—it’s a month-long movement dedicated to hope, healing, education, and community. Throughout September, we’ll be hosting special events, donation classes, wellness experiences, community partnerships, and fundraisers leading up to our Community Wellness Evening on September 18.

Kickoff Event

Friday, August 21
Pure Toms River Yoga

Join us as we kick off Together We Shine with a special screening of the To Write Love on Her Arms documentary. This inspiring film shares the story behind TWLOHA’s beginnings and the impact one message of hope has had on millions of lives. Stay afterward for conversation, connection, and an opportunity to learn more about this year’s campaign and how you can get involved.

Our full Together We Shine Event Calendar will be announced soon. Check back as we continue adding special events, workshops, donation classes, and community collaborations throughout the campaign.

It started with a story. TWLOHA Founder, Jamie Tworkowski, didn’t set out to start a nonprofit organization. All he wanted to do was help a friend and tell her story. When Jamie met Renee Yohe, she was struggling with addiction, depression, self-injury, and suicidal thoughts. He wrote about the five days he spent with her before she entered a treatment center, and he sold T-shirts to help cover the cost. When she entered treatment, he posted the story on MySpace to give it a home. The name of the story was “To Write Love on Her Arms.”

Each September we host a wellness event benefiting To Write Love on Her Arms (twolha.com), a national non-profit movement for those struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA shared messages and hope since 2006:
TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and invest directly into treatment and recovery.

Helping people stay.
80% of young people first look for mental health support online. We’ve created a safe space through our online community by sharing encouragement—often at times just when it’s needed—and getting people connected to the mental health resources they need and deserve. Through TWLOHA

103,900,000 people reached online each year

4,500,000 moments of meaningful connection

Learn More about TWLOHA and get more Resources

Click Here for Warning Signs and Risk Factors for Suicide

✨ A huge thank you to all of our incredible supporters! ✨
we’d like to recognize the many businesses and individuals who helped make this event possible—whether by sponsoring shirts, volunteering time, donating raffle prizes, providing food, or giving in countless other ways. Your generosity and community spirit mean so much! If we happened to miss anyone on this list, please know it’s not intentional—we are deeply grateful for every single contribution that helped bring this event to life.

OUR SHINE SPONSORS
Please help us thank these incredible local businesses for choosing to make a difference:

We’re honored to have you standing beside us as we support To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) and work to bring hope to our community. Be sure to support the businesses that support our community—they’re helping make Together We Shine possible. Together, we shine brighter.

HOPE SPONSORS:

Community Sponsors and Volunteers:
David S
Linda B.
Dara S.
Erika K.
Mark G.
Kim C.
Saraphin
Beth N.

Dedicated with love in memory of Amy.
May we continue to shine for those we carry in our hearts.