Rain couldn’t put a damper on Suicide Prevention/Awareness Walk

From as far away as Nashville and in constant, sometimes heavy rain, 83 runners, joggers, and walkers met in Bolivar for a 5K Suicide Prevention/Awareness Walk. This was the fifth walk sponsored by the Team Mica Fund in less than a year. In addition to Bolivar, walks have been held in Jackson, Tiptonville, Lexington, and Trenton.
 The team Mica Fund was created  by Erin Hornsby Holcomb in November 2012 in memory of her cousin Mica Breeden Martin who died by suicide on December 16, 2011.
“Our goal is to educate and raise awareness of suicide as well as erase the stigma associated with it,” said Holcomb.
“As a component fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee we are able to reach a broader audience to create awareness of this silent epidemic.”
Since its inception, the fund has raised over $20,000.  It has awarded four grants totaling $4,600. These went to organizations providing education and counseling which creates awareness of suicide. Including the walks, Team Mica has sponsored eleven awareness events and funded two travelling art exhibitions containing work by suicide attempters and survivors that lost loved ones. In addition to reducing the number of suicide deaths, the organization’s new goals include being a resource for the community by providing free counseling and counseling screenings for individuals.
Kelly Young and Melissa Lax spoke to the crowd about their loss of loved ones through suicide. Young lost her husband, Andy, who was also Lax's brother. Each described the last days of their loved one’s life and told of the shock and disbelief upon learning he had died by his own hand. Each portrayed the struggle they endured trying to understand why someone they loved so much would commit such an act. They described the long term, devastating effect these tragic events had on themselves as survivors as well as their families and friends.

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