Photo courtesy of Peace Love Mahjong
The Grace Loncar Foundation will host their second annual Mahj for a Cause on January 25 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Royal Oaks Country Club. The fundraiser and awareness event benefits the GLF Care Fund.
Grace Loncar died by suicide in 2016 at age 16. Though she was beloved by her classmates at Booker T. Washington School for the Performing and Visual Arts and was outstanding in major acting roles there, she suffered from depression. The foundation created in her memory works to spur mental health and suicide awareness, ignite compassion and inspire change in schools, homes and communities.
“We started the GLF Care Fund in October of 2024 and have granted more than $150,000 to North Texans facing an economic barrier to mental healthcare,” said Jennifer Eckert, Lake Highlands mom and executive director of the foundation. “Therapists, care providers and treatment centers apply on behalf of their clients in need, and we pay the invoices on their behalf.”
The ancient game of Mahjong — and the Mahj for a Cause fundraiser — have become wildly popular. This year’s event quickly sold out, but Eckert says organizers will add tables if they receive enough interest. You may sign up for the wait list here. If you’d like to become a sponsor, you may sign up here.
Contributions will also help expand new initiatives, including the GRACE support group (Gaining Resilience through Acceptance, Compassion and Encouragement), which partners with the YMCA to offer resources and a safe community for parents and caregivers of children struggling with mental health issues, and the Grace Loncar Teen Board, which includes students from the Lake Highlands area and works to empower teens to become advocates for mental health awareness, reduce stigma and lead peer-based initiatives that foster understanding.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-14 and 20-34. In fact, more teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung disease combined. You may learn more about available mental health resources here.
