13th Annual Walk for Hope is September 21

The 13th annual Walk for Hope will be held Saturday, September 21 on the Huntington North High School Multi-Purpose Track. Registration begins at 6 p.m. with the event starting at 6:30 p.m.

The walk is hosted by the Youth Services Bureau of Huntington County (YSB) and HOPE (Huntington Outreach for Prevention and Empowerment-suicide prevention). This year’s Gold Sponsor is Bowen Health along with Bronze Sponsors: Bippus State Bank, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, Maple Height Behavioral Health and Intertech.

The two-mile walking event will be held at the stadium, no strollers or pets will be allowed on the track. After registering, walkers may choose to design a luminary that will be placed around the track or a hand-held luminary with a card and ribbon. YSB is challenging business, organizations, churches, youth groups and scouting organizations to participate in this year’s walk.

Registrations will be accepted the day of the event. Participants may seek donations or sponsors to help raise funds for suicide prevention efforts in Huntington County. Donations are tax deductible.

According to Indiana data, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among teens. One youth is lost to suicide every four days, and one in 10 high school students will attempt suicide before they leave high school. Boys are three times more likely to die from suicide while girls are four times more likely to attempt suicide. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for 35 to 44 year olds with the fastest growing age rate for suicide being the 35 to 65 years of age, male population.

In 2023 there were nine deaths due to suicide in Huntington County. The YSB and HOPE have taken an aggressive approach to suicide prevention since 2009. The development of a comprehensive community approach has provided a safety net for young people who are contemplating suicide, and provides them with immediate access to assistance. The group provides community education to adults and youth about the warning signs, risk factors and appropriate actions steps. Informational cards and posters are displayed throughout the county as a reminder of the information and emergency numbers.

To learn more about suicide prevention or the Walk for Hope contact the YSB at (260) 356-9681 or adm@ysbofhuntingtonco.org or a.stratton@ysbofhuntingtonco.org.