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by Jaime Ely
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio — Visitors to Memorial Park on Sunday participated in a walk not only for their health but to honor those who have lost their lives to suicide and to raise awareness for mental health issues. Sandy Williams, who lost her father, Jerry, to suicide in 2011, continues to honor his memory through an event called Jerry's Walk.
"My mom and my sister and I, we said we need to do something because, when he died, we didn't know anything about suicide and we didn't know what resources, if any, were there, especially for families after someone had died. So we started Jerry's Walk," said Williams, president of Jerry's Walk.
The event features various groups and organizations focused on mental health, such as NAMI and the Vet Center. Williams emphasized the importance of providing a safe space for participants.
"There's so much stigma that surrounds suicide and people that have died by suicide. As far as I'm concerned, your loved one died, that's it. That's all I need to know. You've suffered a loss and we're here to embrace you. So, when you come here, it's a community. It really is," she said.
Now in its ninth year, Jerry's Walk aims to foster a sense of community, which Williams believes is its most crucial aspect. She highlighted a statistic that underscores the widespread impact of suicide.
"There's a new statistic out that says for every life lost to suicide, at least 135 people are personally touched. Whether that's family, friends, emergency responders, other people in the community, so it's pervasive," Williams said.
She stressed the importance of the event in providing comfort and raising awareness.
"So this is critical to me, as I said, to give a place for people to feel comfort, but also to let people know this happens, but we don't have to keep it in the shadows. If we talk about it, people who are struggling hopefully will then get help," she said.
