{"id":238485,"date":"2025-11-20T22:02:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T22:02:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/evertise.net\/?p=128499"},"modified":"2025-11-20T22:02:31","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T22:02:31","slug":"connecticut-son-turns-grief-into-a-movement-for-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ipsnews.net\/business\/2025\/11\/20\/connecticut-son-turns-grief-into-a-movement-for-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Connecticut Son Turns Grief Into a Movement for Mental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

Orange, Conn. \u2014 <\/span><\/i>When <\/span>Ken Steeves Jr.<\/b> talks about his mother, he doesn\u2019t begin with tragedy; he begins with <\/span>joy.<\/span><\/i> He remembers <\/span>Randi May Steeves\u2019s<\/b> laughter, her belief in possibility, and the way she turned even a Sunday Powerball ticket into a family ritual of hope. Every week after church, she\u2019d buy one ticket and ask, <\/span>\u201cWhat would we do if we won?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d tell her it was silly \u2014 that we\u2019d never win,\u201d Steeves Jr. recalls. \u201cAnd she\u2019d just smile and say, \u2018We might not, but it\u2019s free to dream.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A decade after her death by suicide, that phrase has become both the name and the mission of his new foundation, \u201c<\/span>It\u2019s Free To Dream.\u201d\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The Weight of Two Worlds<\/b><\/h3>\n

Steeves Jr. grew up in Connecticut, surrounded by wealth but raised in a working-class home. \u201cI went to school with kids whose parents gave them money for the movies,\u201d he recalled. \u201cMy parents couldn\u2019t. I always felt like an outsider.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, Steeves Jr. is a Partner and Managing Director at Creative Planning. He was listed among the top financial advisors in the state of Connecticut on Barron\u2019s list of \u2018Top Advisor Rankings by State\u2019 (2019-2025), one of the \u2018Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors in America\u2019 (2022-2025), was a Five Star Wealth Manager award recipient (2016-2023), and has also been named in Forbes as a \u2018Best-In-State Wealth Advisor\u2019 (2025). From the outside, his success looks complete. But for years, Steeves Jr. shared, \u201cI was ignoring my own mental health. It wasn\u2019t until I started therapy that I realized how many people were struggling silently. If I could move that needle even a little, I had to try.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This foundation, he said, is his mother\u2019s voice echoing forward.<\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Few people knew Randi like her best friend of 40 years,<\/span> Jeanette Patton<\/b>. She remembers the day they met. \u201cI was standing in tears because my sister had disappeared,\u201d Patton recalled. \u201cA woman I didn\u2019t know walked over, opened her arms, and gave me the biggest hug. That was Randi.\u201d That gesture defined a friendship and a legacy. \u201cShe was the only one who saw my pain and stepped toward it, and now Ken is doing the same thing for others,\u201d\u00a0 Patton said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Few realize how widespread mental health struggles and suicide truly are. In 2023 alone, more than 49,000 Americans lost their lives to suicide, the highest number ever recorded, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It remains one of the leading causes of death among youth ages 10 to 24.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDeath by suicide doesn\u2019t just take one life- it ripples through generations,\u201d said <\/span>Sarah Taft<\/b>, Ken\u2019s sister. \u201cOn one side of our family alone, three generations have been devastated by it. What Ken is doing takes immense courage. Talking about mental health after loss isn\u2019t easy, but he\u2019s showing others that even in pain, there can be purpose, and that it\u2019s always free to dream.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning Pain Into Purpose<\/b><\/h3>\n

The <\/span>It\u2019s Free To Dream Foundation<\/b>, now a registered 501(c)(3), aims to fund awareness campaigns, youth access programs, and partnerships that make mental health care both available and acceptable. Ken\u2019s brother-in-law, <\/span>Chris Taft<\/b>, the foundation\u2019s Vice President and a finance executive with experience at Fanatics and GE, shared, \u201cWe have close family members and friends who have struggled with their mental health, and we want to help support programs that encourage people to seek help without shame.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This year\u2019s gala proceeds will benefit three Connecticut organizations already doing the work on the ground: <\/span>Bridges Healthcare<\/b><\/a>, <\/span>Boys & Girls Village<\/b><\/a>, and <\/span>Navi<\/b><\/a>. Navi Co-Founder, <\/span>Margaret Hines<\/b>, shares that \u201cthrough the contributions and donations at the gala, Navi will be able to give every youth ages 13 to 18 in Connecticut access to digital wellness support.\u201d She continued that \u201cKen\u2019s leadership and generosity mean thousands of kids will have access to care that could literally save their lives.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kevin Hines<\/b>, one of the world\u2019s leading suicide prevention advocates and among the few survivors of a Golden Gate Bridge jump, will serve as the keynote speaker at the <\/span>It\u2019s Free To Dream Gala.<\/span><\/i> He said Steeves Jr.\u2019s vision struck him immediately: \u201cThe It\u2019s Free To Dream Foundation is truly an extraordinary movement\u2026 lives are being changed forever thanks to its bold, compassionate mission.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

(<\/span>From left to right) John Draper,<\/span><\/i> Chris Taft, Rachel Ochinegro,<\/span><\/i> Margaret Hines, Kevin Hines, Kenneth Steeves Jr., Jeff DelGuidice<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A Community of Believers<\/b><\/p>\n

The foundation\u2019s momentum has drawn support from leaders across industries. <\/span>Peter Mallouk<\/b>, President and CEO of Creative Planning, where Steeves Jr. has worked for years, said that \u201cThrough his dedication to mental health and suicide prevention, Ken Steeves Jr. is helping build a world where every life is valued and every voice is heard,\u201d Mallouk said. \u201cHis compassion is turning awareness into action.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mickey Brennan<\/b>, Partner and Co-head of IWG, GWMS at Apollo Global Management, said Steeves Jr.\u2019s drive comes from something larger than philanthropy. \u201cThe It\u2019s Free To Dream Foundation is a powerful tribute to Randi May Steeves and her enduring light,\u201d Brennan said. \u201cKen isn\u2019t just honoring her memory, he\u2019s building a movement that could redefine how communities talk about mental health.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Price of Hope<\/b><\/p>\n

The <\/span>It\u2019s Free To Dream Gala<\/b><\/a> will bring together over two hundred guests, including business leaders, philanthropists, advocates, and families that are united by a shared cause. The goal is to raise funds for mental health programs across Connecticut. But Steeves Jr. insists the real metric of success isn\u2019t financial.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf people leave that room feeling more hopeful than when they walked in, that\u2019s what matters,\u201d he said. \u201cHope doesn\u2019t cost a thing, and sometimes, it\u2019s the only thing that saves us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ten years after Randi May Steeves\u2019s passing, her son is still buying into her favorite idea\u2026 that even in darkness, it\u2019s free to dream.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tickets and sponsorship information for the December 14 gala and organization are available at <\/b>itsfreetodream.org<\/b><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Orange, Conn. \u2014 When Ken Steeves Jr. talks about his mother, he doesn\u2019t begin with tragedy; he begins with joy. He remembers Randi May Steeves\u2019s laughter, her belief in possibility, and the way she turned even a Sunday Powerball ticket into a family ritual of hope. Every week after church, she\u2019d buy one ticket and [\u2026] Continue Reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":271,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-238485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ips"],"yoast_head":"\nConnecticut Son Turns Grief Into a Movement for Mental Health - Business<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ipsnews.net\/business\/2025\/11\/20\/connecticut-son-turns-grief-into-a-movement-for-mental-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Connecticut Son Turns Grief Into a Movement for Mental Health - Business\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Orange, Conn. \u2014 When Ken Steeves Jr. talks about his mother, he doesn\u2019t begin with tragedy; he begins with joy. 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