This year will mark the 20th 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. 10, at 9 a.m., with walk-up registration at 8 a.m.
The Remembrance Walk is sponsored by SASS-MoKan, a suicide awareness survivor support organization (sass-mokan.com). The walk is a major part of their fundraising. The money raised stays in the Kansas City metropolitan area to help support the families and communities affected by suicide.
Jewish community members Bonnie and Mickey Swade, who started SASS-MoKan to honor their son, Brett, after he lost his life to suicide, have retired from organizing the SASS-MoKan events. Beginning this year, Tony Medina, who lost his sister, Unity, to suicide, will be the primary contact for the Remembrance Walk and other events. The Swades will continue to facilitate the twice-monthly support group at Advent Health in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. These support groups are peer led and open to anyone grieving from the death of a suicide.
After the walk, there will be a dove release around 10 a.m. Participants can register online by going to sass-mokan.com and clicking on “events.” Medina may be contacted at (913) 681-3050 or by email at .
