The Sage Casey Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that was founded in memory of Sage Casey Schmitt.  Sage was only 14 years old in 2017 when they lost their life to suicide.    The pressure of wanting to be accepted for who they were led to depression, and they were unable to win that battle.  And the world lost the most amazing person. Our mission is to bring awareness to suicide prevention, reducing the stigma surrounding conversations about mental health, and to provide positive support and encouragement to local youth by empowering them to find and pursue their own passions, and to follow Sage’s example by always being a rainbow in someone else’s cloud. ​

Sage Casey was a genderfluid, pansexual Sonoma County youth that attended Hillcrest Middle School in Sebastopol.   They were a dedicated musician playing percussion (and eventually accordion), in school bands, jazz band, their OWN band, the Sonoma County Honor Band and the Santa Rosa Junior Symphony as well.  Sage was also involved in the school theater program and a variety of sports, and they excelled academically.  They  were a hard-core Giants fan. They were silly and had a sharp wit and a sarcastic sense of humor.  They had a soft, sensitive heart and looked out for their friends, often going to great lengths to stand up for them.  They were elected Vice President of Student Council. They were an outspoken social advocate, speaking out on issues that they felt strongly about, like women’s and LGBTQ+ rights.  They were my child, and one of my closest friends.  They were best friend and hero to their 8-year-old little brother.  They wore many hats… all of them pretty awesome.   They were also a great friend to many people, across many social circles, and made it a point to reach out to people that they saw struggling or alone.   Their death was a tragic loss to their family, their friends, and to our community.  The Sage Casey Foundation exists to honor Sage’s memory, and to remind people of their story, in hopes that it might help someone else. 

So, when you see rainbows, think of Sage. #SAGESPOTTING.
Remember that SUICIDE IS OFTEN PREVENTABLE.
Help break the stigma our culture has around discussing mental health.  #STOPTHESTIGMA 
Start the conversation.  Make it awkward.  Talk about it.  And then KEEP starting it.  And keep talking about it. 
The stakes are so high. We can’t afford not to. 

​~ Rebekah, Sage’s mom