To bring the issue to light, the Houghton/Keweenaw Communities That Care (CTC) group hosted its third annual Live for Tomorrow Suicide Prevention Walk Saturday.

“Suicide is the most preventable cause of death,” said Lauren Kirwin, one of the organizers of the walk. “The more that we talk about it, the more that we get people help, the more suicides we can prevent.”

Walkers met at the Ray Kestner Waterfront Park, then traveled to and from the Super-8 in Houghton.

On their way, they found members of the Calumet Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, who stood along the route to encourage walkers. CHS’s chapter of Students Against Drunk Driving also made encouraging signs.

(Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette) Calumet High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps students Gabrielle Westcott and Sam Oja greet walkers during the third annual Live for Tomorrow Suicide Prevention Walk Saturday.

JROTC seniors Raven Bromley, Cali St. George and Jason Aho were stationed at the turnaround point near the Super-8.

A couple of Calumet students had died by suicide in the past couple of years, which had a large impact at the school, Bromley said.

“It’s just nice to support our community, because everybody has been affected by suicide or depression in one way or another,” she said. “A friend, family member, or themselves, even.”

They hoped the event could show people in the community struggling with depression they were not alone.

“When you get into a really depressive state, it’s just hard to see that there’s actually somebody there,” said 12th-grader Cali St. George. “Just having a whole community come together and be like ‘We are here for you,’ it just can really hit hard at home and make you feel better.”

Kirwin also coordinates free QPR (question, persuade, refer) suicide prevention trainings. People can email her at lakirwin@mtu.edu to set them up for groups of any size.

In the trainings, they talk about the warning signs of suicide, how to question people who might be having suicidal thoughts, how to persuade them to get help, and how to refer them to the right local resources, Kirwin said.

Katy Heikkila was motivated to participate in Saturday’s walk after her cousin’s son died by suicide in March at the age of 22. Other relatives on her mother’s side of the family had also killed themselves.

Event’s like Saturday’s make more people aware of it, Heikkila said.

“It doesn’t get talked about like it should,” she said.