A smiling middle-aged man with a beard, wearing a black T-shirt with a microphone graphic and a green conference badge, standing in front of a beige tiled wall.
Eight people standing together at an event with a backdrop featuring logos for Best Point Education & Behavioral Health and Butler Behavioral Health, smiling at the camera.
Three people standing in front of a wall with a sign that says 'Home of the' and a logo. The person in the middle, a young man, is holding a certificate and smiling. The man on the left and the woman on the right are also smiling. The man on the left is wearing a black T-shirt and a black cap, and the woman on the right is wearing a blue T-shirt and a black cap.
A group of people posing in front of a banner for a Christian event called Corn Stand. The group includes men and women of various ages, some wearing matching T-shirts that say 'Corn Stand'. They are outside, with autumn-themed decorations like pumpkins and hay bales, and balloons surrounding them.
Group of seven people standing outside a building holding a large check for $1500 made out to Emma Brecht, dated June 25, 2023, from Cornstand JAM. The people are smiling, and some are wearing shirts with event logos. There is a young boy in the foreground wearing glasses and a sports shirt.
Three people standing in front of a banner that says 'Welcome to Corn Stand Jam 2019'. The person on the left is a young woman with long dark hair, wearing a gray Corn Stand Jam shirt. The person in the middle is a man with a beard, wearing a gray Corn Stand Jam shirt and jeans. The person on the right is a man with sunglasses, wearing a blue vest over a plaid shirt and jeans.

My name is Jimmy Unger,

I am a lifelong resident of Hamilton Ohio. I lost my youngest son, Christian Unger, to suicide and my life forever changed. At the age of 18, Christian was diagnosed with Schizophrenia. He was a textbook case, according to the doctors. Our family shared his diagnosis with everyone, including family and friends, to reduce the stigma of mental illness. For 10 years, he battled this horrible disease, and Christian succumbed to the disease, taking his life on August 7th, 2019.

Many of you may have met Christian. He was the young man who sold Ross Ohio sweet corn for 16 years, next to Flub’s ice cream on Eaton Avenue in Hamilton. A lot of people were reaching out, wondering what they could do to remember Christian and help. My niece, Ashley, brought up the idea

of having a benefit event with local business owners and leaders stepping up to support. My immediate response, was yes, of course, as long as all of the proceeds go to help spread awareness and provide scholarships to local students.

Our first event was October 19, 2019 reaching an audience of 800 in the parking lot of the Greater Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, with bands playing all day at North Second Tap and Bottle Shop. Since then, we’ve grown every year, relocating the main event to Hamilton’s RiversEdge Amphitheater and Marcum Park. We’ve also added year-round events and outreach partners to increase our visibility and efforts in the community. Local author, Scott Smallwood, and artist, Hannah Tebbe, wrote an award winning children’s book, Monkey and Bug’s Night at the Corn Stand Jam, to help kids understand we can celebrate our differences and know that, “it’s ok to not be ok.”

We have made great strides in the community, including a partnership with Hamilton’s Department of Neighborhoods outreach organization, 17 Strong, and Mayor Pat Moeller presenting us with a proclamation for the Corn Stand Jam
in 2022. Since 2021, we hold the largest mental health event in Butler County, projected to reach over 7,000 people at our main event, September 30, 2023.

We look forward to seeing you there and thank you for being a part of the Corn Stand Jam.

Sincerely,

Jimmy Unger