Journey to Hope gathers each September near the date of World Suicide Prevention Day to “Get Loud for Mental Health,” raising awareness and funds in the community to offer hope and healing and to honour individuals who have died by suicide.
“Journey to Hope Moose Jaw began back in 2008,” explained Della Ferguson, “when members of the Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group that I facilitate through W.J. Jones & Son Funeral Home asked how we could raise awareness locally.”
The small non-profit began as a small group of volunteers. They are under the umbrella of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), which Ferguson called a beautiful partnership.
“This group of volunteers has evolved over the years and has always been a group of very passionate people with hearts for our community.”
World Suicide Prevention Day was Sept. 10 this year. The ceremony in Crescent Park was set for Sept. 24 to give people time to settle into their school and work routines.
There will be music and raffle sales at 10 a.m. The program will start at 10:30, followed by the raffle draw at 11 a.m. and the Reflective Walk through Crescent Park at 11:30.
“This year, we are honoured to have the Fieger family sharing in memory of their son Michael,” Ferguson said. “We invite folks to send memorial pictures of their loved one who died by suicide to be included on the Memorial Wall.”
Pictures can be sent to info@hopesummit.ca. Pledge forms for the event can be obtained from the same address.
“The fundraising program and reflective walk is an event for the whole community,” Ferguson said. “It is an opportunity for us to come together, to show up for each other and demonstrate that we are a community who cares.”
Representatives of the Journey2Hope Youth Chapter will lead the reflective walk as it passes the mural installation the park. The installation was made by the youth chapter in collaboration with project 104, facilitated by Cori Saas of Peacock Collegiate.
Fundraising for Journey to Hope takes place throughout the year by various unaffiliated charity groups, such as the Ruck It Up group — Brett Hagan, Chris Robart, and Tyler Simpson — who raised $10,000 this year.
That money stays within the south-central Saskatchewan region. It is used for mental health screening in Prairie South School Division (PSSD) and Holy Trinity Catholic School Division (HTCSD), sponsored suicide awareness and prevention training, Youth Chapter work, mental health presentations, and furnishing the CMHA Quiet Room, among other projects.
Other events on Saturday, Sept. 24 include a quilt draw, a Find Something Good candle sale by Journey to Hope board member Jan Stewart, and the honouring of local fundraising groups such as Ruck It Up.
