Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University are among the latest expansion schools for The Fight Against Suicide, a nonprofit that organizes boxing events to raise funds for suicide prevention and research efforts. The nonprofit was started at the University of Georgia and expanded first to the University of Alabama in 2023, when Sofia Collins’ sister, Bella, helped organize the inaugural Alabama bout.
Texas Christian University junior Sofia Collins lost her father to suicide in 2018. After attending The Fight Against Suicide event in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Collins brought the fight to TCU. The TCU event, led by students, is set for March 6 at Panther Island Pavilion and includes eight fights over the course of the night. Tickets will cost $60 and can be purchased online starting at 5 p.m. on February 13.
Event Details and Fundraising Goals
All fighters are going through six weeks of boxing training, and the fully sanctioned match-ups will be overseen by referees. The TCU branch aims to raise $100,000 and sell 750 tickets at the first fight. As of February 12, organizers had already raised over $37,000. Walter Frazer, a junior and co-fundraising lead alongside Collins, stated: “All of it relates back to that central idea of how can we spread support and prevention? We’re doing just that by bringing people together and putting on this event.”
Origins and Expansion
The Fight Against Suicide was birthed out of personal tragedy. David Edmiston, co-founder and director, lost his friend Sam Asbury to suicide in February 2020. Wanting to do something different while raising funds for mental health, Edmiston decided a boxing event was a good way to bring college-aged adults to the table and have a conversation. The first Fight Against Suicide at the University of Georgia sold 1,600 tickets. The nonprofit is now a subsidiary of the Sam Asbury Foundation, created by David Asbury in memory of his son.
The nonprofit organizes QPR suicide training and a speaker series at campuses a week prior to boxing events. After expanding to multiple universities, the nonprofit recently launched college chapters. Edmiston said the chapters host monthly events alongside the yearly boxing matches. Edmiston noted that 53 other universities have expressed interest in bringing the nonprofit to their schools.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.keranews.org/health-wellness/2026-02-13/a-nonprofit-looking-to-knock-out-college-suicides-steps-into-the-ring-at-tcu