Prescott’s Holiday Courtyard was transformed into a New Orleans Mardi Gras street scene for the 7th Annual Crawfest. The event, hosted and underwritten by Dr. Peter Tibi, was a celebration of friendship and community with a purpose.  All proceeds from the event, totaling more than $52,000, benefited Yavapai Regional Medical Center’s Partners for Healthy Students (PHS) program.  

“This marks the third year our event has raised funds for the Healthy Students program, said Tibi. “This year we are particularly grateful for the outpouring of community support, as 100% of funds raised will be used to expand the program to include the provision of behavioral health services.”

2019 Crawfest event sponsors included Air Methods/Native Air; APS; Boyle, Pecharich, Cline, Whittington & Stallings, PLLC; Ms. Robbie Nicol; Northern Arizona Hospitalists; Prescott Anesthesia Associates; the Prescott Elks Lodge; Mr. Bill Sonsin; Voya Financial; Wells Fargo; Wells Fargo Securities and Yavapai Pathology Associates.

“The need for behavioral health services is compelling,” stated PHS Director Amy Negovan. “One in five children has or will experience a diagnosable behavioral, emotional, or mental health disorder. And we know if left untreated these disorders can disrupt school performance, harm relationships and lead to suicide – the second leading cause of death among adolescents.”

For the past 20 years, YRMC’s Partners for Healthy Students program has provided primary and preventive healthcare services to schoolchildren and their siblings throughout YRMC’s service area at no cost to families with little or no insurance or ability to pay. YRMC will begin to introduce the program at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year.

To learn more about YRMC’s Partners for Healthy Students program, contact the YRMC Foundation at (928) 771–5169 or [email protected].