BELMONT COUNTY, OH — A spirited yell into the sky marked the start of Jerry’s Walk in Belmont County, an event created to confront the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health while honoring the memory of Jerry Williams, who died by suicide in 2011.
After Jerry’s death, his daughter, Sandy Williams, and her family looked for a way to remember him while also helping others avoid the same pain. That effort became Jerry’s Walk, which Williams described as “meant to be a bit of a community hug to help people who maybe have either suffered from suicidal ideation, people who have lost people to suicide, and just to educate the community on what suicide really is and how we can help people.”
The walk also highlighted ways people remember and talk about suicide and mental health. Organizers noted that different beads carried different meanings, including remembering a loved one’s mental health or suicide struggle, remembering a personal struggle with suicide, and working to reduce stigma around conversations about suicide.
Various organizations attended to provide education and resources, including NAMI Greater Wheeling and the Ohio State University Extension.
This year’s walk also introduced a new way for participants to remember loved ones: a memory tree. Inspired by traditions from Indigenous tribes in Canada, participants were invited to leave messages for those they have lost. Williams explained the inspiration behind it: “When someone dies, they’ll take maybe a piece of their clothing or a ribbon, and they tie them around totem poles, actually, or maybe a tree in the forest to remember them. So we thought this would be a wonderful way for people to remember the people they’re walking for.”
The event comes as Belmont County has seen a sharp rise in suicides over the past year, with deaths by suicide more than doubling, organizers said. Williams emphasized the importance of open conversation, saying, “Suicide is not something to not talk about. It’s always been taboo in society, and unfortunately when we don’t talk about it, that’s when we lose people.”
Organizers and mental health officials urged anyone who is struggling to call or text 988, the mental health hotline.