Austin Williams and the CAC Foundation: Sparking Conversations
That Save Lives
In a powerful collaboration, Austin Williams, an award-winning full-service advertising agency, has partnered with the Christopher A. Coluccio (CAC) Foundation to create a video series aimed at addressing the urgent crisis of youth mental health and suicide prevention.
These videos, produced pro bono by AW, embody a shared commitment to fostering understanding, inspiring meaningful conversations, and offering hope to families in need.
The CAC Foundation, established in October 2021 by Chris and Jenn Coluccio of Bayport-Blue Point, NY, honors the memory of their son, Christopher, who tragically passed away by suicide earlier that year. The Foundation’s mission is both deeply personal and universally significant: to celebrate Christopher’s life while opening vital lines of communication between parents and children about mental health, depression, and suicide.
“We are so moved by Christopher’s story and wanted to create something that displays the mission of the Christopher A. Coluccio Foundation,” said Rick Chiorando, CEO and chief creative officer at Austin Williams. “Teen suicides are rising at an alarming rate across Long Island. We created these videos to educate and raise awareness about this growing crisis, hoping to make a difference and save lives by addressing underlying mental health issues.”
The series, titled What Did I Miss?, gathers residents across Long Island who have one thing in common: They each lost a family member to suicide. Produced in partnership with SpotOn Productions, the videos capture poignant conversations in an intimate, emotional setting with family members sharing personal stories, reflecting on the signs they missed in their loved one’s struggles with mental health and depression.
“Since the passing of our son, Christopher, in 2021, the goal of the CAC Foundation has been to change the conversation and reduce the stigma surrounding youth suicide and mental health,” said Christopher Coluccio, president and cofounder of the Christopher A. Coluccio Foundation. “We hope that these videos reach those who may be struggling, have lost a child, or are worried about their child’s well-being and help them realize they are not alone. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the families for their courage and the amazing teams at Austin Williams and SpotOn Productions for enabling us to share their stories.”
We invite you to watch the What Did I Miss? series below and to share it with others to help raise awareness about the critical issues of youth suicide and mental health. Together, we can inspire meaningful conversations that make a difference in the lives of others.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or experiencing mental health challenges, help is available. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or visit 988lifeline.org for support.
To learn more about the Christopher A. Coluccio Foundation or to donate, please visit https://christophercoluccio.org/.
About Austin Williams
Austin Williams is a full-service advertising, marketing, digital, and public relations firm that creates ideas that inspire action for clients in the healthcare, higher education, financial, and professional services industries. Certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) by the State of New York, the Long Island-based firm was founded in 1992 and was named one of the 100 fastest-growing agencies in the nation. In 2024, it was recognized as the Best Advertising Agency and PR Agency by Long Island Business News in their Reader Ranking Awards for the second year in a row, and in 2020, it was named a Newsday Top Place to Work.