This year will mark the 19th anniversary of a walk for survivors to gather with others and celebrate the lives of loved ones lost to suicide.
The Suicide Awareness Survivor Support (SASS-MoKan) Remembrance Walk will be held at Loose Park, 51st and Wornall in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 9 a.m., with walk-up registration at 8 a.m.
The Remembrance Walk is sponsored by SASS-MoKan, a grassroots organization started by Jewish community members Bonnie and Mickey Swade to honor their son, Brett, after he lost his life to suicide. SASS-MoKan unites survivors of suicide (family and friends) by organizing community support groups throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area. These support groups are peer-led and open to anyone grieving from the death of a suicide.
SASS-MoKan is a not-for-profit suicide awareness survivor support organization (sass-mokan.com). The Remembrance Walk is a major part of its fundraising. The money raised stays in the Kansas City metropolitan area to help support the families and communities affected by suicide.
Suicide continues to be a leading cause of death and affects all walks of life. SASS-MoKan provides education about suicide awareness and prevention and helps reduce the stigma and shame associated with suicide.
“Putting [the topic of suicide] out there in the public is probably the best way,” Mickey Swade told The Chronicle in 2017 about how to increase awareness and prevention.
After the walk, there will be a dove release around 10 a.m. There will be a flag corps in memory of the many lives lost on 9/11. The pre-registration fee is $25, and the fee on the day of the walk is $35. Participants can register online by going to sass-mokan.com and clicking on events.
Visit the website for more information about the Remembrance Walk or SASS-MoKan support group meetings.
