Iron Mountain business owner raises money for mental health awareness

IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WLUC) - A Dickinson County business owner is spreading mental health awareness after the death of his best friend.

Mike Pearson owns “Brick + Mortar” in downtown Iron Mountain. One of the new lines of merchandise is in memory of his best friend, David Furno, who died in October after battling with mental illness.

“David was very close to me. He had been close to me my entire life. We were always together through everything from little kids to adulthood. The main reason I wanted to bring attention to all of this is because sometimes the people that are closest to you are struggling with things that you are not aware of,” Pearson said.

The logo of the merchandise is “D13,” which held a special significance to Pearson.

“He was a big online gamer, that was his gaming tag,” Pearson said. “His first name was David and he used his lucky number. So, the combination was D13.”

Pearson decided to donate the proceeds to the great lakes recovery centers to help raise awareness.

“When I was able to call them, I was able to talk to someone directly,” Pearson said. “It was just like when you come into my store, you get to see me face-to-face and talk to me, it was the same experience. I was able to talk to someone and relate to them.”

So far, Pearson has sold $2,000 worth of clothing and stickers.

“They stay right here in the U.P. Everything that is given to Great Lakes Recovery Centers stays here,” Pearson said. “It is important because this is home to so many people. That’s why I chose them.”

Pearson asks that you always check on the people that are important to you when they are struggling. Each shirt is $26, and stickers are $5 to $10.