Speedbump Fest V! NIGHT ONE!

Welcome to Speedbump Fest V: The digital edition! This is the first night of TWO NIGHTS of our festivities! Rocking the house tonight is AMISTAD (melodic crust from Akron,Ohio) and BODY FARM (political punk from Newark/Baltimore, Ohio) !! Special thanks to WEST SIDE BOWL (Youngstown,Oh) for hosting the fest this year. You guys rock!! Also a special thanks to Eric Arkham (Arkham Tattoos, Akron, Ohio) for our rad logo this year!! ---------------- Speedbump Fest was first held shortly after Garrett Janos’ tragic death by suicide in 2015, the fest is an annual fundraiser commemorating our dear friend’s life. For five years Speedbump Fest has featured a mix of local and national bands, as well as raffles showcasing local businesses, artists, and music. Proceeds from the event are donated to organizations dedicated to helping people overcome mental illness and addiction. Due to the pandemic, we’ve gone digital for this year’s Speedbump Fest. It’s not the first time we’ve had to adapt to changes in circumstances over which we have no control. That’s why we’re able to bring you any version of Speedbump Fest for our fifth anniversary. It’s not our first rodeo, it’s our fifth, and you’re invited. Over Friday October 23 and Saturday October 24, we’ve got four bands playing across two days. Amistad, Wallcreeper, Hiraeth, and Body Farm recorded sets at the West Side Bowl in Youngstown that we’re going to stream on our social media accounts. Over the past five years, Speedbump Fest has blossomed into an organization called Last Letter Project. Our mission is to erase the stigma surrounding mental health issues and addiction recovery. The two often go hand in hand and the stigma surrounding both is an immense hurdle for people to overcome without proper resources, especially in communities where those resources are scarce or unknown to its citizens. Portage Path Behavioral Health is one such resource. They’re a non-profit mental health center offering a number of programs, including dual diagnosis services engineered to offer quality care to people affected by mental illness and substance use disorders. Given the number of people we’ve seen gobbled up by that two-headed monster, PPBH’s work in dual diagnosis cases is near and dear to our hearts. Another organization dear to us that we’ve paired with is Project DAWN (Deaths Avoided With Naloxone). The wonderful folks at Project DAWN provide training on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of an overdose and how to use naloxone, a drug that can be used to reverse an opioid overdose. We’re proud to have supported both Project DAWN and PPBH through donations over the years, and we’re always honored to have them present at Speedbump Fest and at Time Out Tuesday, another of our community outreach programs. Though currently on hold due to the pandemic (with the exception of some sporadic digital updates that can be found on our social media accounts and Youtube channel), Time Out Tuesday is an event hosted by LLP that was previously scheduled on the first Tuesday of every month. The idea is to take some time out from a hectic schedule to unwind and find new strategies of coping with mental health issues. We’ve covered holiday stress management, meditation, therapy animals, and art therapy and more, pairing each educational presentation with an activity or craft. While Speedbump Fest is our flagship event, we wait with bated breath for when it’s safe to return with Time Out Tuesday in-person as well. Naturally, LLP has experienced tremendous growth over the past five years, not the least of which being the expansion of our team from its original three-member cadre to the current family of seven. Though we’re always evolving to meet the needs of the community, our mission remains unchanged: to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction recovery by sharing resources and opening dialogue with those who need it most. That’s why we’re asking anyone who’s able to please make a donation to Portage Path Behavioral Center. Thanks for your time. See you at the show! Donations can be made directly to PPBH at https://www.portagepath.org/speedbump/ ------------------ Follow Last Letter Project: www.lastletterproject.com Instagram: @LastLetterProject Facebook: @TheLLP Follow Speedbump Fest! on Facebook & Instagram: @speedbumpfest Remember to LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE :)