Gunnar Tuininga now champions a cause he never thought he’d have to consider.
Nothing could have prepared Gunnar for the phone call he received in March of 2025 when he was informed that his fraternity brother, Colin LeMoine, had passed away by suicide. The events from that day now run together, but the hysteria and heartache he experienced are forever branded into his memory.
“Your heart just drops,” said Gunnar, who served as the president for The University of Alabama’s Phi Kappa Psi chapter last year during Colin’s passing. “You just feel helpless. No one is ready for those types of situations.”
Gunnar still remembers feeling a blow to his chest each time he notified a member of Phi Kappa Psi’s executive board about Colin’s passing that day. That pain and the widespread impact of the tragedy stuck with him and ultimately served as the driving force for a fundraising project in Colin’s memory.
Over the past year, Gunnar and the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity teamed up with members of Sigma Phi Epsilon and Sigma Chi fraternities to organize “Outback,” a two-day charity concert to provide financial support for Tide Against Suicide. Located in UA’s Counseling Center, Tide Against Suicide is a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention at UA, providing a non-judgmental place where suicide is discussed openly among a community that rallies one another wherever they are on their journey.
Outback was hosted by Tuscaloosa music venue Two Dimes. It took place on March 5–6 of this year, featuring live performances from several popular artists. Proceeds from the event, along with donations for Tide Against Suicide, raised $52,000 for the organization.
Last month, members of all three participating fraternities joined together to present a check to Tide Against Suicide at the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house.
“It is incredible when students go to such lengths to help fellow students,” said Dr. Greg Vander Wal, UA’s executive director of the Counseling Center and Collegiate Recovery and Intervention Services. “This contribution to suicide prevention efforts on campus will help the Counseling Center and Tide Against Suicide continue to raise awareness about suicide and build a supportive UA community in the years to come.”
The donation will support Tide Against Suicide and other suicide prevention education work in the Counseling Center. As part of the donation, there will also be a therapy room named in memory of Colin inside the new Student Well-Being Hub, which is set to open in the 2026-2027 academic year.
“It was a big deal for us that we were able to support a local organization as opposed to donating to a broad, national organization and have no idea of how it was ever going to help us,” Gunnar said. “We wanted to do it on the small-scale with something that would actually help the community. I think doing that was key to the success of the event.”
Suicide is currently the second-leading cause of death among U.S. college students. Several UA fraternities are committed to raising awareness for suicide prevention and other mental health issues that often go undiscussed.
“It’s really sad, but you can go down almost the entire [fraternity] row, and someone in every house knows someone who was personally affected by suicide and men’s mental health,” said Samuel Redelsheimer, UA chapter president for Sigma Chi. “So it’s something that’s really easy to rally the guys to participate in because everyone really cares about it, and everyone knows someone or has been personally affected by it.”
Following Colin’s passing, Gunnar said Phi Kappa Psi has seen a rise in several small-group activities such as run clubs and Bible studies where members routinely check in on each other’s well-being.
The Counseling Center offers several suicide prevention trainings and other mental health workshops. Anyone seeking help is encouraged to visit the Counseling Center at 3000 South Lawn Office Building (1101 Jackson Avenue) or call 205-348-3863 during operating hours (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). For assistance outside of operating hours, call the UA Police Department at 205-348-5454 and ask to speak with the on-call counselor. You may also text BAMA to 741-741 to text with a trained volunteer.
As part of the continued effort to raise suicide awareness, Gunnar said the current plan is to turn Outback into an annual event benefiting Tide Against Suicide.
“[Colin’s passing] was a horrible day, and it was heartbreaking for all of us,” Gunnar said. “One side effect of it, though, was that everyone realized how important life is and how important everything we do as a group is. It caused us to really look in the mirror and grow.”
