6th Annual ‘Week of Hope’ Begins in Southampton to Support Depression Research

The Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF) will hold its sixth annual ‘Week of Hope’ summer tradition in Southampton town beginning this Thursday, July 25. 

The Week of Hope event is designed to raise awareness for mental health and help advance the conversation. Throughout the week, more than 100 local businesses will display yellow flags in front of their doors in an attempt to spread a message of light and hope — described as a “sea of sunshine” by the HDRF.

Participating stores will have special hand-outs provided by HDRF with the latest information on depression in the U.S. and how to spot signs and symptoms, the foundation said.

“I’m thrilled to be celebrating our sixth annual ‘Week of Hope’ in Southampton,” HDRF Founder and Chair Audrey Gruss said in a statement. “Our community is completely devoted to spreading mental health awareness and supporting our mission to find better treatments for anxiety and depression.”

Gruss will plant the first flag of the week in front of the Veronica Beard store (84B Main Street) in Southampton Village at 10 a.m. Thursday. Other locations that will fly flags include Jennifer Miller Jewelry, Johnny Was, Paul Stuart and Ralph Lauren.

The Week of Hope will culminate with the ninth annual Southampton Race of Hope on Sunday, August 4, of which all proceeds will go toward groundbreaking research into the root causes of depression and discovering better treatments.

The race will begin at 8:30 a.m. and will take place around Lake Agawam.

“Today we recognize the overwhelming rates of depression and suicide in the United States, and HDRF is continuing to work to find real solutions through extensive research into novel treatments,” Gruss said.

Learn more at hopefordepression.org.