September is Suicide Prevention Month and Save Cenla is hosting their annual Into the Light 5K Walk to raise awareness and remember lost loved ones. 

 

Beginning at the Avoyelles Parish Courthouse steps in Marksville at 8 AM on Saturday, September 21, this family-friendly event supports Save Cenla’s mission to promote mental health awareness and suicide prevention through education, media, and events.

 

“We noticed that in our small town, our small parish, there was such a great need. There was a lot of suicide so we formed Save Cenla,” says Angela Dixon, Founder. 

 

Angela and her husband, Andy, lost their son to suicide in 2014. Along with co-founders Anthony and Jackie Bordelon, who also suffered a loss in 2016, they wanted to make a difference and let others know how they could make a difference. 

 

Since 2017, their mission has grown throughout the state and they have trained over 3900 people in Louisiana through the ASIST program.  ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) is approved by the World Health Organization and has been training people to provide suicide first aid interventions for over 40 years.

 

The 5K is the main event and participants can walk at their own pace for free or register to compete for medals. But there is a lot more to this event! 

 

ASIST-certified Miss Louisiana titleholder Lily Gayle will sing the national anthem. The VFW will raise the flag and play Taps in honor of the 16 veterans who die by suicide each day. There will be prayer nets, music, vendors, info booths, inflatable jumpers, cotton candy, popcorn, jambalaya, a medal ceremony, silent auction, cash raffle, and a butterfly memorial release. 

 

Loved ones are encouraged to bring photos to place on the memorial board. 

 

“Everyone you know knows SOMEONE who is struggling,” Dixon says. She isn’t wrong. I struggled in silence for years. “Mental health is like a fire drill. You have to know what to do when you reach that place. You have to be prepared when someone you know reaches that place. We prepare people to know what to do. We encourage people to bring things into the light,” Dixon continues. 

 

Funds from the event and your donations help Save Cenla continue to train Central Louisiana’s 988 call line operators, school district students and personnel, law enforcement officers, and college nursing and psychology students. 

 

But even then, Dixon is adamant. “Fundraising is not our main goal. Awareness is.”

 

To that end, an impactful moment will be made as 16 members of the National Guard carry combat boots around the 5k in honor of veterans lost to suicide each day. 

 

Join Save Cenla in Marksville this Saturday from 8 AM-1 PM. 

 

The Avoyelles Parish Courthouse is located at 312 N. Main Street, Marksville. Save Cenla can be reached at savecenla.com. 

 

Jeanni Ritchie is a contributing journalist from Central Louisiana. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.