Holly Hill Memorial Park: September is National Suicide Prevention Month
By Sharon Myers
Audio
Members of the community will be gathering to remember those lost to suicide and to raise awareness about speaking out to prevent suicide.
Davidson County Family Services is partnering with Holly Hill Cares and the Thomasville Police Department for the 3rd annual Break the Silence Walk at 3 p.m. on Sept. 21 at Holly Hill Memorial Park Cemetery, located at 401 W. Holly Hill Road in Thomasville.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month.
Emma Lookabill, Crisis Intervention Advocate for DCFS, said the event is to let people know there are resources for those considering or who have been impacted by suicide, and to let them know it ok to talk about it.
"A lot of people seem to think if we don’t talk about suicide it won’t happen,” said Lookabill. “But there are so many people suffering in silence, so many people in need of help. We want them to know there are people they can go to that can help.”
She said the first lap of the walk around the campus at Holly Hill Memorial Park Cemetary will be held in complete silence in remembrance for those who lost their lives to suicide and to symbolize the stigmata that prevents people from talking about suicide.
That lap will end with “breaking the silence” through acts, such as cheering, shouting, ringing of bells, etc.
Lookabill said the second lap will be to show how important it is to talk about suicide prevention and to represent the resources available to those at-risk as well as for concerned friend and family members.
"We want to show that we can have those tough conversations,” said Lookabill. “We want everyone to know that there are people out there for them, and that it isn’t a battle they have to have alone.”
In North Carolina, suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 18 and the third leading cause for those ages 19 to 34. The number of suicides among youth aged 10 to 34 has been tracked from 2014 to 2023, with a total of 2,006 suicides reported during this period, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
Lookabill said they also are partnering with the Thomasville Police Department because first responders are often the ones dealing with those in crisis, which can often lead to higher suicide rates among the profession.
“They see a lot,” said Lookabill. “They are the ones answering those calls, having to talk people down, so we want them to know that we are going to stand with them and it's OK to talk about how it effects them.”
She said suicide is not an incident that impacts the person lost, it often ripples throughout their families and peers.
“Everyone has been impacted in some shape or form,” said Lookabill. “Whether it's a family member, a friend or classmate. This event is something where we can come together as a community and say 'We hear you'. We don’t want to see anyone lost to suicide and there are resources available."
For those considering suicide or who know someone at risk, Davidson County Family Services has a 24-hour crisis line at (336) 243-1934 or call or text 988 for the National Suicide Lifeline.
