Emily's Walk for Hope on Suicide Awareness Day in South Lake Tahoe

Submitted by paula on Mon, 09/03/2018 - 11:39pm
Event Date: 
September 8, 2018 - 10:00am

The National Day of Suicide Awareness will be observed in South Lake Tahoe at the Suicide Prevention Network's 2nd annual Emily's Walk for Hope on Saturday, September 8 at 10:00 a.m. at Lakeview Commons.

Emily’s Walk for Hope was founded last year by longtime local, Susan Alessi who lost her daughter Emily Ann Alessi to suicide in 2014. The purpose of this walk is to honor her life, to remember those around us lost to suicide and to help end the stigma surrounding suicide.

The suicide awareness walk will begin with an opening ceremony at 10:00 a.m. to include guest speakers, registration and coffee. Early registration and t-shirt pick up is 9:00-10:00 a.m. Following the 1.4 mile walk there will be a closing ceremony which includes a butterfly release and sponsored lunch open to all walkers.

Suicide Prevention Network funds advocacy programs, free of charge, aimed at improving our understanding of suicide, prevention and educational programs to increase awareness. All proceeds from this event will help Suicide Prevention’s efforts to further prevention and stigma reduction.

There are multiple ways to become involved in Emily’s Walk for Hope: become a sponsor, provide food for the event or simply volunteer to assist the day of. If you would like to participate in the walk please register online at www.ultrasignup.com and search Emily’s Walk for Hope.

The cost is $25 for adults and includes a t-shirt and lunch ticket. Children 12-and-under walk for free, T-shirts and lunch are not included, T-shirts can be purchased for $10.00 lunch for $5.

With a $5.00 donation, participants are invited to dedicate a Memory Sign in the name of a loved one to be displayed throughout the walk. Participants may take home their Memory Signs at the end of the event. We encourage participants to bring photos that will also be displayed throughout the walk.

There is an early pick-up location at Barton Health's Public Relations office on Friday, September 7, from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. They are located at 2092 South Lake Tahoe Blvd. #400, South Lake Tahoe.