The 8th Annual Jerry’s Walk took place today at the St. Clairsville Memorial for Suicide Awareness in St. Clairsville, OH. Participants had the opportunity to walk, sign up for the auction, donate a suicide pinwheel in memory of someone they may have lost to suicide, and interact with mental health experts from Belmont County and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation to access community resources.
Sandy Williams, President of Jerry’s Walk, shared her personal experience, stating that when her father passed away by suicide at the age of 75, they were uninformed about suicide and its impacts. She emphasized that despite being in 2024, suicide is still a taboo topic for many people. Williams stressed the need to remove the stigma around mental health and encourage open conversations about struggles and suicidal thoughts. The message was clear: “Let us help you. Don’t hide.”
The event aims to reduce the stigma surrounding suicide, particularly for older males like Jerry who inspired it. The event serves to raise awareness and promote a better understanding of the importance of mental health through walking, donating pins in memory of loved ones who took their lives and interacting with experts from Belmont County and Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation to access community resources