Limited-edition purple, teal mini Terrace chair purchases will support suicide prevention efforts, mental health resources at UW–Madison
Posted: 04/20/23
The purchase of the Wisconsin Union’s limited-edition, mini, purple and teal version of an iconic symbol of summer in Madison, Wisconsin, called the Terrace chair, will support the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s suicide prevention efforts and mental health resources for students with a portion of each sale going to University Health Services’ (UHS’) Suicide Prevention Fund.
The Wisconsin Union team will place about 860 of the purple and teal mini chairs, measuring about 4 inches tall, on the shelves of the Badger Market at Memorial Union for sale on May 1, where they will remain on sale while supplies last. If some of the mini chairs remain on May 15, the team will also make them available in its online Terrace Store. The Union does not anticipate creating more of the purple and teal chairs.
The Wisco Industries team in Oregon, Wisconsin, crafted the chairs and painted them purple after which the Wisconsin Union, including UW–Madison students, hand-painted flecks of teal, making each chair completely unique. Design inspiration was drawn from purple and teal ribbons that are used to raise awareness and support of suicide prevention.
The UHS and the Wisconsin Union teams began discussing the creation of the limited-edition chair and how it could support suicide prevention and mental health promotion efforts for UW–Madison students in summer 2022.
“The Terrace chair is a symbol of joining together as a community, so it’s a fitting extension of its identity to support the well-being of UW–Madison students,” said Mark Guthier, associate vice chancellor for student affairs and executive director of the Wisconsin Union.
The Suicide Prevention Fund at UHS helps fund suicide prevention programs and mental health resources at UW–Madison, including population-level prevention efforts and clinical services and support for students.
“Supporting the mental health of UW–Madison students is central to our work at UHS,” said Jake Baggott, associate vice chancellor for student affairs and executive director of UHS. “All members and supporters of our Badger community can play a role in suicide prevention and contribute to a culture of care at UW–Madison.”
UHS offers confidential, no-cost mental health services to UW–Madison students, including daily drop-in counseling opportunities through Let’s Talk, individual counseling, group counseling, and psychiatric care.
UHS also offers a 24-hour mental health crisis line at (608) 265-5600 (option 9) for students and anyone concerned about a student’s well-being in addition to training and education on suicide prevention created for University team members and students. Additional suicide prevention resources are available at uhs.wisc.edu/prevention/suicide-prevention.
In addition to purchasing teal and purple mini chairs, those looking to support the University’s mental health and suicide prevention initiatives can make tax-deductible donations directly to the Suicide Prevention Fund here.
In recent years, the Wisconsin Union’s other limited-edition mini chairs have included a cow-print chair in 2019, which supported the UW School of Veterinary Medicine’s building expansion project, and a 2020 chair that featured a painting of the Earth and benefited the UW–Madison Green Fund. Patrons can still purchase a limited supply of cow-print mini chairs in the Union’s online Terrace Store and in the Union’s Badger Markets at Memorial Union and Union South.
On an ongoing basis, customers can purchase mini red, green, yellow and orange Terrace chairs and tables in the Badger Markets at Memorial Union and Union South as well as in the online Terrace Store.
Patrons can purchase full-size red or white Terrace chairs and tables exclusively in the online Terrace Store.
Sales of the regularly available mini and full-size Terrace furniture help the nonprofit Wisconsin Union provide free and low-cost events, activities and services; its spaces; and Union student leadership opportunities, some of which provide academic stipends of up to 80% of students’ in-state tuition.
Yellow, orange and green Terrace chairs rose to fame with their presence at the Wisconsin Union’s outdoor dining and entertainment space, called the Memorial Union Terrace. The trademarked sunburst design of the chair purportedly first appeared with its current design in the 1960s at the Terrace. About 2,000 full-size Terrace chairs sit on the Memorial Union Terrace from early spring to late fall each year and have come to mark the start of summer in Madison and a time of outdoor gathering in the community.
To purchase the limited-edition, mini, purple and teal chairs, while supplies last, patrons can visit the Badger Market at Memorial Union beginning May 1 and, if supplies continue to be available, can also shop for the chairs in the online Terrace Store beginning May 15.