Beacon for Hope Suicide Prevention is busy this month — which makes sense because September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
Director Melissa Owen says the area schedule includes something new and something longstanding. The new event is Saturday: Gravel Grind for Hope in Lebo. Owen says this signals the agency’s expansion into Coffey County and more emphasis on the 9-8-8 emergency prevention number.
Registration starts at 7 am, with riders choosing from 14.5- or 28.5-mile routes beginning at 8 am. Registration is $35 for adults with a T-shirt included and $25 without. Youths under age 18 can register for $25 with a T-shirt or $15 without.
The following Saturday, Sept. 27, will see the Hope Links Us Together Suicide Prevention Walk at C of E Park from 10 am to 2 pm. Owen says the park is a good place for the event.
Owen says there will be memorial activities, vendors, community partners and a lived-experience speaker during the walk.
Meanwhile, Beacon continues its early efforts to expand across southeast Kansas as part of a one-year, $35,000 grant through the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. Owen says much of the early work has been in fostering relationships with schools and in developing community events.
The local events also come as Beacon remains busy, even without the increased coverage area. In fact Owen says 2025 to date has been the agency’s busiest year for connecting people with suicide prevention services.
More information is available at hopelinks.org or the Beacon for Hope social media platforms.
