OUR STORY

In 2022, tragedy struck Pequot Lakes High School: three deaths occurred in two months. One death was of a current student, and two were recent graduates. The first passing was that of Jack Hennies, who took his own life. This was not an easy time for our school or our community. People were ready to take action so our community would not face devastation like this again. The problem was that no system in place would allow our community to make a necessary change, hence forming our alliance.

Our group was first affiliated with another local mental health awareness group but later branched off due to structural differences. Following this separation, REEL North Alliance was born. 

The term REEL North Alliance has more meaning behind it than what meets the eye. "REEL" is an acronym for Revealing Emotions Elevating Lives and is also spelled this way to remind readers of a fishing reel to symbolize Jack's love of fishing. "North" is a term that resonates with looking up and forward along with progress and advancement, which we feel are some of our central values. "Alliance" suggests we are a united front and joined together in order to succeed our mission, allowing anyone to help us along the way. Our logo resembles a compass since a compass shows you the way to go; it is a sign of safety and protection and can guide you if you are ever lost.