Courtesy of the A.R.C. Angels Foundation
The bass player for Little Feat, Kenny Gradney, performed in January 2015, wearing an ARC shirt in support of Avery Cantor, who committed suicide the previous May.
Avery Cantor had everything going for her. She was a compassionate, gentle, intelligent teenager who excelled at both academics (with a 4.4 GPA) and sports (field hockey and soccer)—and she still found time to edit her school newspaper.
But beneath the surface, depression colored her achievements.
When Cantor committed suicide on May 5, 2014, her father Rick was devastated. Rather than let his grief prevent him from action, he decided to start the A.R.C. Angels Foundation (AAF), a nonprofit dedicated to preventing teen suicide. Cantor was not alone in her struggles: According to a 2015 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide was the third-leading cause of death for people ages 10–14—and the second-leading cause of death for ages 15–34.
So Cantor channeled his sadness into something positive. “After two days of crying, I came to the realization that I had to do something,” he says. “I got together with several lifelong friends and started reaching out to them to tell them I wanted to start a foundation to help kids and help drive the numbers down.”
Courtesy of the ARC Angels Foundation
Rick Cantor (left) is working to decrease suicide rates among teens, because he wants to help other kids in the same situation as his daughter Avery.
Also known as the Avery’s Angel’s Foundation, the institution informs adults, teens, and school communities about why kids in trouble turn to suicide, what the warning signs are, and how to use available resources to help. By increasing education and awareness, Cantor hopes to cast light on what he considers one of America’s most alarming problems.
Over the last few years, the organization has continued to grow. AAF is planning potential mergers, offering $2,500 scholarships to youths who’re raising awareness, working with Lindenwood University on a full-ride scholarship program. “We have come a long way,” Cantor says. “In essence, we are raising funds to put into the community to help kids to create awareness.”
On August 26, AAF will honor Avery’s memory with a benefit concert that features Little Feat’s Craig Fuller, saxophonist Ron Holloway, and St. Louis' own Al Holliday & The East Side Rhythm Band.
For Cantor, it’s community coming together. “I have known these guys all of my adult life, and they have known my family,” he says. “When they are in town, they’ll come by the house and I’ll cook for them. We are an extended family.”
He struggles to find positives while living after Avery’s death. “First off, you are never the same,” he says. “There is a hole in your heart. It doesn’t get any better.” What makes life tolerable, he says, is trying to help by keeping other kids from following the same path. He adds, “The thought process was that if we saved one life, it was like saving the world.”
A.R.C. Angels Foundation presents members of Little Feat with Al Holliday & The East Side Rhythm Band, Saturday, August 26, 2017. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the show starting at 7:15 p.m. at The Pageant (6161 Delmar). For more information call 636-405-1746 or visit the website.
