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Kate Spade New York donates $1 M to suicide prevention, mental health awareness causes

NEW YORK — Kate Spade New York, the clothing company founded by the late Kate Spade, is donating more than $1 million to suicide prevention and mental health awareness causes.

The company made the announcement Wednesday, more than two weeks after Spade was found dead of a suicide June 5 in New York.

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"In honor of our company founder, Kate Spade, our foundation is donating over $1 million to suicide prevention and mental health awareness causes, starting with $250,000 to the Crisis Text Line," the company said in a statement on its Facebook page. "From June 20 through June 29, 2018, the Kate Spade New York Foundation will also match public donations made to the crisis text line, up to the amount of $100,000. To make your donation, please go to crisistextline.org/katespadeny. Thank you for your generosity and support."

in honor of our company founder, kate spade, our foundation is donating over $1 million to suicide prevention and mental...

Posted by kate spade new york on Wednesday, June 20, 2018

The announcement comes after Spade’s brother-in-law, David Spade, donated $100,000 to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Kate Spade, who was 55 when she died, struggled with depression and anxiety, according to her husband, designer Andy Spade. The two were separated at the time of her death.

“There was no indication and no warning that she would do this,” Andy Spade said in a statement. “It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn’t her. There were personal demons she was battling.”

According to the Crisis Text Line, multiple factors result in suicide, but it is preventable. Among the ways to help is to encourage someone who may attempt suicide to reach out for help, including texting the line at 741741. The line can be texted for yourself or on someone else's behalf.