Flagler County was — at one point — ranked highest among all counties in the state of Florida in deaths by suicide. It was a trend Dye wanted to help reverse.
“It’s not just a sticker on the race car. Aside from Halifax being one of our sponsors, the Race to Stop Suicide is something that we’ve taken to heart and made sure to push through all of our outlets and all of our platforms,” Dye noted. “My dad, Kevin (Striegle, Dye’s PR manager), me, my friends, my family … it’s not really a big deal to make time for someone who needs it. It’s 10 minutes, really. Who doesn’t have 10 minutes? That time could potentially change somebody’s outlook on life.
“I’ve always tried to be positive about situations and tried to avoid negativity. In the world we live in now, there’s a lot of positivity, but there’s also a lot of negative things going on,” he added. “You can’t really hide from it, no matter how hard you try. If it means potentially changing somebody’s outlook on life and helping them get to a better place, then I have all the 10 minutes in the world. I really do.
“A quote from the TV show 13 Reasons Why that always stuck with me was that ‘no one cares until after something bad happens.’ And it shouldn’t be that way. We should talk about it before it gets that far.”
On a positive note, since Halifax Health’s partnership with Dye and Ben Kennedy Racing began, Flagler County has fallen from first to ninth in suicide deaths by county in Florida. Volusia County’s numbers, along with the overall state total, have also decreased.
“It means we’re making positive waves,” Dye noted, “but the work is never truly done in this fight.”
Looking back at the racing picture, the biggest immediate hurdle for Dye comes in the form of Friday night’s Snowball Derby qualifying session.
The top 30 drivers on speed will lock into the race and with 55 cars entered, that means nearly half of the Snowball Derby hopefuls on the property won’t be safe going into Saturday’s last-chance qualifier.
Adding to the pressure is the fact that Dye celebrates his 17th birthday Friday. He’s hoping for a gift in the form of a fast-enough lap to make the show.
“First off, we have to make the race and we qualify on my birthday … so I would like my birthday present to be qualifying into the Derby,” Dye said with a smile. “The racing Gods can go ahead and start wrapping up my present; that would be really good. (laughter) In all seriousness, though, to be in a race like the Derby where they send nearly half the field home … just to make the race would be awesome.
“At the same time, it would also be really cool to be able to have our car and that message in front of the amount of people that will be watching the race come Sunday afternoon.”
As for the mission? Furthering the message, Dye said, will be far simpler than qualifying for the Derby.
“It’s about letting people know we’re here for them,” he noted. “And if that makes a difference in someone’s life … if we can help prevent even one person from making that choice (to commit suicide), then we’re making a difference. And that’s something we’ll continue to work for.
“All it takes is for one person to admit they need help, and then someone else admits it and everyone realizes how much help, friends and support they have around them. That’s how we make a difference.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-8255. The Lifeline provides around-the-clock, free and confidential support for those in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources and other valuable materials.