Page 6-Third Issue May 2017

East Helena Leads Conversation about   Suicide Prevention

Superintendent Ron Whitmoyer delivers a speech before the walk starts on Friday (Photo provided by Keira Marshall)

By: Kiera Marshall
Kiera.Marshall@mail.umhelena.edu

On April 29, 2017, the East Helena community organized the “Out of the Darkness Campus Walk” to raise awareness about suicide prevention. Suicide has impacted the East Helena and Helena community and this walk aimed to help raise awareness of an issue that is rarely talked about.

Tova Reddick-Starkel, one of the organizers of the event, that she was concerned about the number of people who would attend and how many sponsor they would get, but was pleased with the amount of support from the community. Before the event began, there was a resource fair with information from different sponsors around East Helena.

East Helena mayor, James Schell, stands before the
participants and gives a passionate speech.
(Photo provided by Kiera Marshall)

Superintendent Ron Whitmoyer gave a riveting speech on why the walk was important for the schools and how it will have a positive effect on the schools and the community as a whole.
James Schell, the mayor of East Helena, gave the last speech of the day about why bringing awareness to suicide can better a community and bring it together as well.

More than 700 people participated in the walk. The route they took passed by all three East Helena schools, East Valley Middle School, Radley Elementary School, and Eastgate School. The goal of the walk was to raise $10,000 and almost triple the amount was raised for a total of $29,36d8. Reddick-Starkel said that fundraising was “second to the need and the feeling of talking about it.”

The “Out of the Darkness Campus Walk” is just the beginning of bringing awareness to an important issue. There will be another walk next year and there are plans to create a Survivor Loss Day.

“That which we cannot discuss, can’t change,” said Reddick-Starkel when asked if this event can make a difference.

Participants begin the walk that circles all East Helena Schools (Photo provided by Kiera Marshall)