Raising Hope

Editor's note: The following article was first published in Los Gatos Patch on July 8. "Jill's Ride for Hope" will be Saturday.

In March 2009, Polly Naber and her husband, Rob, lost their 15-year-old daughter, Jillian Bailey Naber, to suicide. While dealing with their grief, Polly says they realized many people didn't know Jill took her own life, because local media reports used only the term "passed away." 

"Suicide is such a hush-hush topic," Polly says. "Maybe if people talked about it more, you might be able to save lives."

For the second year, Polly and Rob are supporting Jill's Ride for Hope, a fundraising event to keep the nonprofit CASSY—Counseling and Support Services for Youth— at . CASSY provides students with crisis intervention, ongoing counseling and proactive mental health education at no charge. It has been at LGHS full time since shortly after Jill's death and the deaths of two students from separate causes. Polly says she and Rob found out later from police that cyber-bullying over a personal photo Jill had sent a boy contributed to her suicide. 

Jill's Ride for Hope will be from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, and will include 100K and 30K bike rides, and a 5K ride, run or walk option. 

During the past two years, Polly has found some respite at a couple of Los Gatos gardens. 

The Hope Garden opened the same month Jill died and is behind the House of Hope, a food bank adjacent to Calvary Church in Los Gatos. For a nominal fee, anyone can grow vegetables in individual plots if they agree to donate 10 percent of their crops to the food bank. 

"I walked a lot after Jill passed," Polly says. "I would go by there, and then I ran into someone and just started talking about the garden. In July [2009], I decided I wanted one of the plots, and my friend and I adopted it and shared it. Last year, we picked up another one and got to know some people there." 

Polly recently became Hope Garden's volunteer manager. 

A sunflower in one of her plots could be seen from across the property early this summer. Its magnificent golden-yellow head was already in full bloom. 

"My flower for Jill is a sunflower, which I grow every year," Polly says. "Judy Peckler befriended me—her daughter, who was also named Jill, died years ago. Judy brought me some of her daughter's legacy sunflower seeds, so every year I try to share the seeds with people." 

At LGHS, the once-empty space near the events sign is now the LGHS Memorial Plaza, a picturesque setting filled with in memoriam benches, picnic tables and a native plant garden. Polly says former LGHS Assistant Principal Scott Downs, now a teacher, and some of her friends worked to create the plaza, through donations, after Jill died. 

Jill's bench faces west, by the school's lawn. Other benches bear the names of students Mikey Halpin, who died from an undiagnosed heart condition in December 2008; Dennis Cyncor-McMillan, who died in a swimming accident in March 2009; and Tom Gallie who committed suicide in March 2010. (Mikey Halpin's father, Timothy Halpin, died on July 3, 2011.) A bench also honors Rich Prsha, a popular LGHS coach, who died in June 2009. 

A plaque among the pavers is in memory of LGHS graduates Todd Beamer and Mark Bingham, two of the heroes aboard United Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001. 

Four other benches originally had empty holes instead of plaques. 

"I said it looks like we're just waiting for someone to die," Polly says. "So I filled them." 

One word—Hope, Peace, Integrity or Compassion—is now on those benches, chosen by Polly, Rob and Tom Gallie's parents. 

Nearby, the native garden is thriving. 

"The native plants near the sign's west-facing side include chaparral natives like California lilac, coyote mint, Lilac verbena and hummingbird fuchsia," says Alrie Middlebrook, who designed the garden. "The plants on the east-facing side of the sign include coastal bluff plants like yarrow, seaside daisy and coast buckwheat." 

Middlebrook says the plants will soon require little watering other than rainfall. When she has time, Polly helps maintain them. 

For information about Jill's Ride for Hope, visit jillsrideforhope2011-eorg.eventbrite.com/ 

About this column: Each week, Susan Wiedmann will write about nature or outdoor activities enjoyed by local residents.  Susan is a longtime freelance writer and photographer with a passion for capturing wildlife through her camera's lens. Please leave any comments about this article at the bottom of this page. You can contact Susan about possible topics at Susan@UpCloseWithMotherNature.com or at UpCloseWithMotherNature.com.