Local women who have experienced loss to suicide have set out to bring awareness to Monroe County. 

This National Suicide Prevention Month, Monroe Countians have the chance to participate in two walks for the cause, the first being the Songs4Soldiers Walk to Remember this Saturday morning before the benefit concert. 

Lisa Schumacher and Joydean Beatty are the founders of this walk, which was first held in 2019. 

“Four years ago, it hit home personally as my brother-in-law committed suicide. I immediately got a group of people together and participated in the (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of Darkness Walk) in Creve Coeur Park in Missouri,” Schumacher said. “I did that the first year, went back and did it the second year and then at that time, my wheels were kind of turning, thinking ‘We don’t have anything like this in our area,’ and so I was looking to get a simple little walk together.” 

Soon, Schumacher and Beatty were brainstorming how their local connections could help make a smaller, but similar, walk for Columbia a reality. 

Both worked heavily with Turner Hall and Beatty was involved with Songs4Soldiers. That organization agreed to host the walk, and Turner Hall helped in other ways such as donating teal and purple (suicide prevention awareness colors) rubber bracelets for participants to wear.  

The first Walk to Remember, held before the 2019 Songs4Soldiers concert, drew over 100 people from all over Monroe County and surrounding communities such as Dupo and Millstadt. They also raised over $2,000 for AFSP.

“I was shocked. We had a great turnout,” Schumacher said. “It’s very heartwarming, because it does hit home for me and suicide is a huge thing in our community. It’s overwhelming, the amount of support and love that you get from your small-town communities. It does make me proud to be a part of the community.”

The pandemic prevented a 2020 Walk to Remember from happening. However, it did not stop another walk for the cause from its pilot year. 

AFSP approached Schumacher earlier that year and asked if she would organize a Monroe County Out of the Darkness Walk. She was not able to take this on, but knew of two women who would: Nikki Harrison and Dawn Woodall. As the Republic-Times previously reported, both have lost sons to suicide.

“The first year I had my walk, (Nikki) walked because that was fresh after her son had committed suicide. She had been talking to me about the walks … and then she came to me later and said ‘Hey, I’m going to do one in Monroe County!’” Schumacher said. 

And Harrison did, along with Woodall. The two brought the county its very own Out of Darkness Walk. Schumacher assembled a team in honor of her brother-in-law and plans on not only participating in, but also helping with, this year’s Out of the Darkness Walk set for Saturday, Sept. 25.

While the county’s Walk to Remember and Out of the Darkness Walk both benefit the AFSP Illinois Chapter, they have their differences. The latter seeks sponsorships as part of reaching a set donation goal, and these sponsors can be recognized on T-shirts. Participants may also wear beads whose colors correspond to one’s connection with suicide. 

At many Out of the Darkness Walks, there are additional activities. 

Schumacher describes Walk to Remember’s atmosphere as more low-key. 

“When I came up with this Walk to Remember, it was just something I wanted to do because it hit too close to home. So I don’t have shirts and I don’t have the suicide (prevention) logo advertised on any of my stuff. It’s a very simple walk,” Schumacher said. 

Instead of beads, Walk to Remember incorporates the AFSP’s colors in another way, and participants can don tags stating who they are walking for. 

“I have a little ceremony that I do at the start of it,” Schumacher said. “There are different colors depending on how suicide affects you, whether it’s a spouse, a sibling, just different reasons, and so I get balloons (with) those colors. I start off with a little thank you, then I have somebody sing the national anthem and then I say what each color means and release those colors (balloons).” 

She said it is important to have this smaller, more intimate option to remember those lost to suicide, especially for loved ones who are not ready to participate in such a large event. 

“When you go to those big foundation walks (in larger cities like St. Louis), they make a whole day of it. It’s just a huge, huge thing, and I just felt like you’re so lost going to something that big like that … nobody knew me from Adam over there. (With Walk to Remember) being in my hometown and where my brother-in-law lived … it just is a little bit more personable.”

The Songs4Soldiers Walk to Remember will start with sign-up and donations at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, with the Moment of Silence and walk kicking off at 9 a.m. at Bolm-Schuhkraft City Park.

Those interested in registering and/or donating to the Out of the Darkness Monroe County Walk should visit afsp.org/MonroeIL.