In less than a month, it will be one year since electronic music artist and DJ Avicii died of an apparent suicide. Now, the family of the late Tim Bergling, better known by the name Avicii, has announced the establishment of The Tim Bergling Foundation, which will focus on issues related to mental health and suicide prevention.
The Tim Bergling Foundation's press announcement says that at first the organization will focus on support for organizations and individuals in the mental health field, as well as on initiatives for the cause of suicide prevention. The statement goes on:
"Tim wanted to make a difference…Starting a foundation in his name is our way to honor his memory and continue to act in his spirit."
Following that initial phase, The Tim Bergling Foundation will also focus money and energy on other causes, including climate change, environmental conservation, and more. It's in keeping with Avicii's own philanthropic efforts while he was alive, having helped raise millions of dollars in funds for causes like AIDS prevention and world hunger. And the foundation will reportedly operate both in the artist's Swedish homeland as well as other points across the world.
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That will be possible thanks in part to Avicii's impressive $50 million fortune at the time of his death, much of which is presumably going towards funding these philanthropic endeavors. The foundation's initial focus on mental health and suicide prevention comes as an additional confirmation that his untimely death was a result of mental health issues, as implied by his family's press statement shortly after he died:
"Our beloved Tim was a seeker, a fragile artistic soul searching for answers to existential questions…When he stopped touring, he wanted to find a balance in life to be happy and be able to do what he loved most — music. He really struggled with thoughts about Meaning, Life, Happiness. He could not go on any longer. He wanted to find peace."
Tim Bergling, aka Avicii, was 28 years old.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "home" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org
