American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Hosts 36th Annual Lifesavers Gala

Eric & Terry Murray, parents of PGA professional golfer Grayson Murray, to receive Survivors of Suicide Loss Lifesaver Award

NEW YORK (April 28, 2024) – On May 1, 2025, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will hold its 36th annual Lifesaver’s Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. AFSP is a leading suicide prevention organization in the United States. Amongst the distinguished honorees which include mental health advocates Ethan and Naomi Sacks, media personality Jay Glazer, and researchers Marsha Linehan and Katherine Anne Comtois, AFSP will honor Eric and Terry Murray, parents of the late PGA Tour player Grayson Murray with the Survivors of Suicide Loss Lifesaver Award.

“AFSP is honored to host the Lifesaver’s Gala every year to recognize outstanding contributions and milestones in suicide prevention,” said AFSP Chief Executive Officer Robert Gebbia. “Each distinguished honoree has significantly advanced suicide prevention through their research, advocacy or by sharing their personal stories of how suicide has affected their lives, which helps inform the public about suicide and its prevention. This year's Gala coincides with the start of Mental Health Awareness Month and will bring added attention to AFSPs mission to save lives."

All proceeds from the Lifesaver’s Gala support AFSP’s suicide prevention research, public education, advocacy efforts, and programming for the loss survivor community. Hosted by Cindy Hsu, Board Member for AFSP New York City Chapter and Emmy-award winning anchor and reporter at CBS New York, the event will honor those working to save lives and raise funds to end this leading cause of death. 

AFSP Honorees: 

Survivors of Suicide Loss Lifesaver Award: Eric and Terry Murray

In January 2025, Eric and Terry Murray launched the Grayson Murray Foundation in honor of their son, late PGA Tour player Grayson Murray. Murray, who was open about his personal experience with anxiety, depression and addiction, died by suicide in May 2024 at the age of 30.

The mission of the Grayson Murray Foundation is to raise awareness and support of mental health and addiction challenges faced by individuals from all walks of life by supporting innovative research, expanding access to essential services and fostering a culture of understanding inspired by Murray’s legacy of compassion, resilience and hope.

Public Service Lifesaver Award: Jay Glazer

In his podcast, which is an extension of his widely acclaimed, best-selling book “Unbreakable,” Jay Glazer shares his personal mental health journey with the audience along with tips and tools for thriving despite mental health struggles.

Glazer began openly talking about his depression at a time when few public figures were – aiming to reduce the stigma and encourage others who are struggling to find help. He also launched a charitable organization called MVP (Merging Vets and Players), which pairs former combat veterans with former professional athletes to help each other transition into new phases of their lives. Glazer is the NFL Insider for FOX Sports’ award-winning NFL pregame show, FOX NFL SUNDAY and the host of the iHeartMedia and Fox Sports Radio.

Through his podcast, he welcomes mental health experts, athletes, coaches, A-list celebrities and others where they frequently discuss tips for maintaining an unbreakable mindset and overcoming any obstacle to succeed.

Public Education Lifesaver Award: Ethan & Naomi Sacks

Ethan and Naomi Sacks are the father-daughter duo behind A Haunted Girl, a comic book series inspired by Naomi’s mental health journey. Ethan (a comic writer himself) and Naomi actively collaborated with AFSP on the four-issue graphic novel horror miniseries, ensuring that they wrote safely on the topic and included mental health resources. The story is written from a place of authenticity and vulnerability and has earned the father-daughter pair features in People, CBS, and more.

Lifetime Achievement Research Award: Marsha Linehan, Ph.D., ABPP, Director Emeritus, Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics & Professor Emeritus, Psychology, University of Washington

Dr. Marsha Linehan is Professor Emeritus of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington and Director Emeritus of the Behavioral Research and Therapy Clinics. Dr. Linehan developed Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in the 1980s causing a sea change as an effective intervention in behavioral therapy. This treatment was originally developed for suicidal behaviors and later expanded to treat people with borderline personality disorder and other severe mental disorders involving serious emotion dysregulation. At the time at which DBT was developed, people thought there was nothing that could be done to help a person who was thinking of ending their life. Today, DBT is ubiquitous as a tool used in therapy to reduce suicidal behavior and is more cost-effective compared to standard treatments. Dr. Linehan has received numerous awards recognizing her clinical and research contributions, including the Louis I. Dublin Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Field of Suicide and the Annual Research Award from AFSP.  

Annual Research Award: Katherine Anne Comtois, Ph.D., MPH, Director, Center for Suicide Prevention and Recovery (CSPAR) & Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington

Dr. Kate Comtois is a Professor at the University of Washington Medicine and a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in suicidal thoughts and behavior, psychiatric disability and employment, and borderline personality disorder. Dr. Comtois has revolutionized suicide prevention by developing game-changing interventions that have transformed how clinicians approach and treat patients with suicidal thoughts, behavior and risk. Her innovative work—including Caring Contacts, adaptations of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS), and Preventing Addiction Related Suicide (PARS)—has equipped thousands of providers with effective tools to engage with high-risk individuals and save lives across diverse clinical settings. Dr. Comtois currently serves as a scientific advisor to AFSP and has received several AFSP grants, including a 2006 Distinguished Investigator Grant and a 2015 Focus Grant for her work on reducing short-term suicide risk after hospitalization.

The 2025 gala chair is Mark Baer, Partner and  Immediate Past CEO at Crowe LLP.

Tickets are available online. Learn more about the 36th Annual Lifesaver’s Gala sponsors and event details here. 

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The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through public education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, with a public policy office in Washington, DC, AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico, with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok.    

For media interested in this event, please contact [email protected]. Media are encouraged to consult AFSP’s Ethical Reporting Tips when covering this topic to minimize the risk of suicide contagion in society.