Bring Hope Now, Inc. has awarded a $25,000 donation to the Okaloosa School District to support the continuation of its peer support program, Hope Squad.

• The donation, presented at a school board meeting on Monday, Sept. 10, comes from proceeds of the nonprofit’s first two Bring Hope Dragon Boat races. The funds will be used for ongoing expenses, supplies, and events related to the program, which aims to prevent suicide among students.
• Bridgeway Center’s VictOars team secured 1st place.

Peggy Brockman and Kathy Houchins, representatives from Bring Hope Now, presented the check to Superintendent Marcus Chambers and the school board.

“Mental health is something that we all take very seriously,” Chambers said at the meeting. “Over the course of the last five, six years, it’s something that in this school district we’ve taken even more seriously.”

Chambers credited Brockman with approaching him about five years ago to discuss enhancing mental health initiatives in the district, leading to the creation of Hope Squad.

Houchins acknowledged Chambers’ role in implementing the program. “Without your support, it couldn’t have happened,” she said. “We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

• Brockman emphasized the program’s impact, stating, “There are lives that have been being saved and that is a wonderful thing.”

The school board initially approved the peer-to-peer program in December 2019. Since then, it has been implemented in all Okaloosa County schools.

Bring Hope Now, Inc., established as a separate nonprofit in January 2024, focuses on suicide prevention among youth and military through community engagement, education, and mental health advocacy. The organization holds an annual Dragon Boat Race in September to commemorate Suicide Prevention Month.

While continuing to support the school district’s efforts, Bring Hope Now is now shifting its focus to developing a youth treatment facility in Okaloosa County, allowing families to access treatment locally rather than traveling out of the area.