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s e r v i n g tay l or , ol d f or g e , moosic & surrounding areas triborobanner.com | oct. 6, 2016
Moosic Lions donated funds to the Greenwood Hose Co. |Page 2
Scenes from Riverside High School’s win over Montrose |Page 11
Old Forge High School’s National Honor Society class officers |Page 12
Cutting for a Cause Taylor barber hopes to raise mental illness awareness by Linda Scott
SPEciaL to tHE tRiboRo bannER Most people walk into Serge’s Barber Shop, 502 N. Main St. in Old Forge, expecting nothing more than a great haircut. But the haircuts that will be given this Sunday will serve a different purpose. The event is called Haircuts for a Cause. It is hoped that people will come to the event to remember Derek Ruthkosky, honor his memory and raise awareness of mental illness. The event will be held on Sunday, Oct. 9, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shop is usually closed on Sundays but will be open that day. Men’s haircuts are $15 and a woman’s basic cut is $20 which includes wash and cut. 100 percent of the money raised that day will be donated to the Dombrosky family. Light food and refreshments will be donated by Jim and Joanne Connell from Taylor Deli. Ruthkosky is among a growing number of teenagers who have attempted — or succeeded — in taking their own lives. He was born in 1996 and died in August. He was 19. According to statisticbrain.com the annual number of teen/youth suicides in the United States is 4,600, or 12 per day. The average number of teen suicide attempts
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per year is 575,000. “Suicide is not only a tragedy for family and friends but is a loss for our entire community,” said Owen Dougherty President NAMI PA Scranton (National Alliance on Mental Illness). People who knew him would say that he was a happy kid and always smiling. He had a passion for firefighting and Taylor Engine and Hose Co. No 1. Ladder 95 was his second home. After his passing, the fire company gave his helmet to his mother. “Derek was born 10 weeks premature and he had a lot of developmental delays,” said his mother Debbie Dombrosky. “The doctors said he would never walk but he did. He overcame a lot of things and he was very smart.” He was a 2015 graduate of Riverside High School and was enrolled at Johnson College in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning technology program. “Derek was very devoted to his 12-year-old brother Jacob,” said Joe Dombroski stepfather of Derek and a Scranton police officer. “Their relationship was like any brothers would have. They’d wrestle and Derek liked to give Jacob hugs. “He was respectful and a brother to all. He was one of the nicest kids I knew,” reflected Fire Chief Wes Jones. “Dereck fit in with the guys and was always there. He was a friend to everyone.” “I hope to have between 5 to 7 barbers that day and more if I can fit more chairs in,” said shop owner Chris Serge. “I am asking people to come out and support this so that people become more aware of mental health issues. Derek’s death hit
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From left, front row: Joe Dombroski, Jacob Ruthkosky and Debbie Dombroski. Back row: Nicole Summa, Rachel Pollock, Chris Serge and Myriah Syrylo.
home and touched me because I have two children. I want to make people aware that everyone is a person and that this is a sad situation. I wanted to help the family out. I was deeply touched by this young man’s story.” “This could happen to anyone including doctors and police officers. Suicide has no boundaries,” Joe Dombroski said.
“Parents talk to their children about drugs, alcohol and reckless driving. No one talks about mental illness, depression and suicide. Suicide affects many people including the people the person left behind. Derek’s passing took us by surprise. Parents need to talk to their children about mental illnesses. We still expect to see him walk in the house every night.”