Be the Light

For Monroe County Veterans Service Officer Charles Weaver, the Be the Light Run/Walk is about more than raising awareness of suicide. It is also about what happens to families after a suicide and making sure people know they do not have to face that loss alone.

The Monroe County Suicide Prevention Taskforce will hold its third annual Be the Light Run/Walk Saturday, Sept. 12, at Winnebago Park in Tomah as part of National Suicide Prevention Month.

Registration and check-in begin at 9 a.m., with the run/walk starting at 10:30 a.m. Registration is free, and participants may register in advance or on the day of the event.

The event will bring together community members, families and mental health organizations with a focus on suicide prevention, reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and remembering those who have died by suicide.

Weaver said the idea for the effort grew in part from an experience helping the wife of a veteran who died by suicide.

While helping the woman with veterans benefits after her husband completed suicide, Weaver said she told him about the trauma she experienced following her husband's death. That conversation made Weaver think about not only suicide prevention, but the support available to families afterward.

"What I've seen is that most times when anybody completes suicide, whether it's a veteran, whether it's a child, whether it's an adult, there are people there for the first 30 days," Weaver said. "But then after that, you're left to your own devices. You're left to your own thoughts."

That led Weaver to begin thinking about "postvention" — helping families and others affected by a suicide after the death occurs.

"We have prevention, but then what do we do after something happens?" Weaver said.

That concern helped lead to the formation of the Monroe County Suicide Prevention Task Force, which Weaver said has now been operating for seven years.

The Be the Light Run/Walk is now in its third year and has been growing each year. Weaver remembers about 75 people participating during the first year. He said attendance increased to nearly 375 the following year.

"I'm hoping this year it's going to be bigger," Weaver said.

Along with the run/walk, the Sept. 12 event will include mental health resource tables, food trucks, an open mic and speakers honoring individuals and families touched by suicide.

The open mic will be held during registration from 9 to 10 a.m., followed by speaker sessions from 10 to 10:30 a.m. The run/walk begins at 10:30 a.m.

A food truck will be on site from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with food available for purchase. Closing remarks are scheduled from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Families who have lost a loved one to suicide are also invited to create memorials along the race route. Each participating family will receive a name card and a pallet backdrop that can be decorated to honor and reflect the life of their loved one.

Prevention

The group's primary goal, however, remains prevention.

"We want people to know that there are resources out there that they can utilize before, unfortunately, completing the act," Weaver said. "And then, if it does happen, because unfortunately we're never going to stop it all, we want families and friends of the deceased to know that there are resources out there that are going to help them after the fact."

Weaver said the impact of a suicide extends far beyond the person who dies, with as many as 125 people potentially affected by a single death. That can include family, friends, emergency personnel, co-workers, possibly even pets left behind.

Part of the Task Force's work involves teaching people how to recognize when someone may be in crisis and what they can do to help.

Suicide prevention can begin with recognizing changes in the people around us. Warning signs can include talking about hopelessness or wanting to die, withdrawing from friends and family, dramatic mood or behavior changes, increased substance use, giving away possessions, or saying goodbye. Weaver said training programs such as QPR suicide-prevention training can help people recognize when someone may be in crisis. Fort McCoy also offers ASIST training for people who work with or are involved with veterans. These training courses help identify someone in crisis and start a conversation to keep that person safe until additional help can be reached.

Anyone experiencing a mental health or suicidal crisis, or who is concerned about someone else, can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Weaver served 22 years on active duty, first with the Marines and later with the Army, before eventually coming to Fort McCoy and making Monroe County his home.

During several deployments to the Middle East, Weaver saw combat. But years later, another kind of loss has taken a toll.

"I've lost more friends to suicide than I did to combat actions when I was over there," Weaver said. "And we were in some pretty nasty stuff."

That experience continues to drive his work.

"I think when people are struggling and feel like they have nowhere to turn, I want to make sure they know there is somewhere they can turn," Weaver said.

Registration for the Be the Light Run/Walk is free. Participants can register in advance at the event's online registration page or sign up at Winnebago Park beginning at 9 a.m. on Sept. 12.

Families interested in reserving a pallet for a memorial along the route, or who have questions about the memorials, can contact the Monroe County Suicide Prevention Taskforce at mcsptf@co.monroe.wi.us.

IF YOU GO

What: Third Annual Be the Light Run/Walk

When: Saturday, Sept. 12

Where: Winnebago Park, Tomah

Registration: Free; advance registration or day-of registration available

9-10 a.m.: Check-in, registration, and open mic

10-10:30 a.m.: Speaker sessions

10:30 a.m.: Run/walk begins

11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Food truck; food available for purchase

1:30-2:30 p.m.: Closing remarks

Also: Mental health resource tables and memorials honoring those lost to suicide

Memorial information: Families interested in reserving a memorial pallet can email mcsptf@co.monroe.wi.us.