PERRY, Ga. — February 2020 was challenging for friends and family of Andrew Collins. Soon after his first semester at Georgia Tech, Andrew began suffering from depression.
"My child had the perfect life and had everything going for him, and within a five-week timeframe, something went wrong and he took his life," said Pam Cato, Andrew's mom.
His death caused his friends to take action. February 2021, Andrew's fraternity brother Thomas Costner founded the Andrew Collins Project to support mental health awareness.
"What we're working towards, you know, short-term, doing events, raising awareness, talking, and then long-term, trying to work with students at other universities, and our own university to kind of set up a relationship between the university's mental health services and the students,"
Cato says Andrew loved going to Bridals by Gilbert in Perry. Growing up for every special event he would always get his suit from their store.
Store owner Maria Gilbert is hosting a fundraiser to raise donations for the nonprofit.
"We decided, because we knew Andrew, and he had always gotten things from us and we've known his family since he was a little child, to honor him," said Gilbert. "For every prom tux that is rented from early February until the end of prom season, we are donating $5 from that suit to the Andrew Collins Project, and then we're asking if the family that is renting the suit would like to match that $5 donation."
The nonprofit is selling t-shirts. Cato is even designing oyster shells to remember others lost to suicide.
"The one thing I can do is honor Andrews memory and raise awareness and if I can save one child, and one family, from going through this heartache. It's worth anything I can do at this point. So the Andrew Collins project is dear to my heart," said Cato.
Gilbert says the fundraiser runs through the end of April. Bridals by Gilbert is located at 902 Commerce St, Perry, GA 31069.
If you would like to donate to The Andrew Collins Project, visit here.