News File Photo Here are some of the roughly 125 participants in last year’s first Alpena Suicide Prevention Walk. This year’s walk will be held at the same place, Bay View Park, on Saturday, Sept. 25, walking the same two-mile route.

ALPENA — September marks National Suicide Prevention Month and Alpena is hosting the second Alpena Suicide Prevention Walk. This week is National Suicide Prevention Week.

The walk is on Sept. 25, and the main goal is to “create opportunities to talk about suicide,” according to Mary Schalk, the program director at Partners in Prevention. She is also a member of the Alpena Suicide Prevention Team, which is organizing the walk.

“We want people who are struggling to know that there are people who care,” Schalk said. “People who are struggling with their own thoughts of suicide or people who are struggling with the loss of someone that they love. And to let them know that there are resources out there.”

Anyone can come to the walk. Registration is $20 for teens and adults, and a T-shirt is included for the first 200 registrants. Money is kept in the community and used for training and other types of awareness activities.

The turnout for the first walk was about 125 people, and Schalk said they expect it to grow to 200 or more this year. Families and friends walked in honor of a person they lost and even created their own T-shirts.

At the walk, starting at 10 a.m. from Bay View Park, resources will be available from Community Mental Health, Bay View Center, and many more. Speakers will also be sharing their experiences with suicide. Schalk said the experiences are meant to show it could happen to anyone.

“We have two people who will be speaking about their personal experiences,” Schalk said. “And our purpose for that is to help people understand that this could impact anyone and that there is hope — that recovery is possible.”

The introduction to the walk is dedicated to speakers and resources. Live music will be played during the registration time from 9 to 10 a.m. The two-mile walk itself can be taken at an individual’s own pace. Running, walking, and pushing strollers are all welcomed. The walk is dog-friendly for those who want to bring their furry friend along with them.

Schalk said another one of the event’s goal is to make suicide easier to talk about. She said everyone will be touched by suicide at some point in their life.

Schalk also said individuals show signs of suicidal thoughts in different ways, and it’s not something people can make assumptions about.

“Not everyone that dies by suicide shows signs of depression,” Schalk said. “We can’t make assumptions about what someone who is thinking about suicide looks like or acts like. Certainly they may isolate themselves, they may have a negative view about life and seem like they’re feeling hopeless. Those are definitely things to be concerned about.”

She said someone doesn’t have to be a professional to ask about suicide or recognize when another person is struggling.

“Sometimes, the things they show are more subtle than that,” Schalk said. “Sometimes we just need to trust our instinct. If we feel like someone may be struggling, to just have a conversation with them.”

Asking about suicide won’t put the thought of suicide into someone’s mind, Schalk said.

“And if we’re wrong about that, there’s no harm in asking,” Schalk said. “Some people have the idea that, ‘Well, if I ask, it might give them the idea,’ and that is absolutely not true. People aren’t that easily talked into something.”

Additional events will be hosted throughout the month including ASIST, Applied Suicide Intervention and Skills Training, on Sept. 13 and 14. Schalk invites people who might be interested in some kind of training to contact her at mary@nemcpi.org.

They are still accepting sponsors for the walk and there are different levels of sponsorship. Schalk said the help from the community is greatly appreciated and the more they raise, the more they can help provide training and resources.

Schalk said the goal for this walk has always been to raise awareness and to provide support.

“Our real goal of this walk is to raise awareness of resources that are available,” Schalk said. “To raise awareness of the importance of talking about suicide and to show support for people who are either struggling themselves or who have lost people to suicide.”

For more information, contact Schalk at 989-356-2880 or Darby Hinkley at 517-494-0004 (text preferred). Visit the Alpena Suicide Prevention Walk on Facebook. Registration forms for the walk are available at The Alpena News or the Alpena Senior Citizens Center.

If you need help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

WHAT: Alpena Suicide Prevention Walk

WHEN: 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25

WHERE: Bay View Park

COST: $20 donation — first 200 registrants receive a T-shirt. No cost for children 12 and under.

DETAILS: Registration begins at 9 a.m. Register in advance at The Alpena News (ask for Darby) or Alpena Senior Citizens Center (ask for Annie or B.J.).

FOR MORE INFO: Contact Mary Schalk at Partners in Prevention at mary@nemcpi.org, or call Darby Hinkley at 517-494-0004.

SPONSORS: If you would like to be a sponsor, contact one of the above committee members as soon as possible. Sponsorship levels begin at $100.