ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – On Saturday in Escanaba, community members gathered for the annual End the Silence Walk in support of the Delta County Suicide Prevention Taskforce. Now, a piece of that event is on display at Bay College.
The End the Silence Walk started 17 years ago, after Suicide Prevention Taskforce member Cindy Bintner lost two teenage sons to suicide in the span of 13 years. At the time, she says there were no resources available to her family. She wanted to bring people impacted by suicide together for a day of healing and hope.
“That first year, 600 people came out,” Bintner said. “That was the start of it, and we’re still going strong. We had about 350 people this year.”
Now through September 30, four Life Keeper Quilts from the walk are hanging in the South Besse Gallery. The quilts feature photos of Upper Peninsula residents who lost their lives to suicide.
“It’s a national project started in 1995 by Sandy Martin,” explained Suicide Prevention Taskforce member Janet Lindstrom. “Her son died of suicide, and she wanted to raise an awareness of suicide prevention and depression. The quilts go to Washington, D.C. in September, and she also wanted to start a bill in Congress to show that depression is an illness and that it needs to be covered by medical insurance so that people can get help.”
Fine Arts Coordinator Kristine Hunter says Bay College is honored to host this exhibition. She says Bay has been working to make mental health resources more accessible for the campus community.
“The more that I learned about them, the more I felt it was so important to have these quilts here,” said Hunter, “and to have our students, faculty, staff, everybody here to honor this. Suicide has touched all of us, sadly. As a community, when we stand together through something like this, that’s when the true healing begins.”
The photos on the quilts were submitted by friends and family members of the individuals pictured. Nearly every photo is captioned with the person’s name, their dates of birth and death, and a quote provided by their loved ones. Lindstrom says the quilts serve as a reminder that anyone can face mental health struggles.
“A lot of the times when we display them, people will say, ‘Well, all these people are smiling,'” she said. “They are, but inside, they had lost all hope in their life. We want people to know they’re not alone, that we support each other and care about each other, and let our loved ones live on.”
The Delta County Suicide Prevention Taskforce provides education for local schools and youth programs, hosts support groups, and provides other services to those dealing with suicide. To learn more about the nonprofit, visit deltasuicideprevention.org. Anyone who is struggling with suicidal thoughts or who is concerned about someone in their life who may be considering suicide is encouraged to call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
The Life Keeper Quilts are free to view. The South Besse Gallery can be found near the Student Success Center, which is located inside the Besse Center.
