First Responder Suicide Awareness Walk to be held Sunday starting at Braintree High School

Fred Hanson, The Patriot Ledger
·1 min read

BRAINTREE  – A First Responder Suicide Awareness Walk will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday beginning at Braintree High School, 128 Town St.

The event will benefit First H.E.L.P, a group that raises awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder among first responders and the need for suicide prevention programs for law enforcement personnel, firefighters, corrections officers and emergency medical workers. The group also seeks to honor those lost to suicide and provide support to their families and loved ones.

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Since First H.E.L.P. began keeping statistics in 2016, almost 1,100 first responders have taken their own lives, the vast majority of them police officers and other law enforcement personnel.

Photographs of police officers who died by suicide are displayed during the Law Enforcement Suicide Awareness Walk in Braintree, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021.
Photographs of police officers who died by suicide are displayed during the Law Enforcement Suicide Awareness Walk in Braintree, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021.

Last year's 5-kilometer/3.1-mile walk drew more than 300 participants and raised more than $20,000 for the organization.

Check-in for the walk begins at 9 a.m. and the registration fee is $30. Participants will get a T-shirt and lunch is included.

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Information will be available  about suicide prevention and support services for those who have lost loved ones to suicide.

Donations can be made at Ma Reilly's Cafe at 90 Pond St. in South Weymouth.

T-Shirts promoting Law Enforcement Suicide Awareness Day were available during the Law enforcement Suicide Awareness Walk in Braintree, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021.
T-Shirts promoting Law Enforcement Suicide Awareness Day were available during the Law enforcement Suicide Awareness Walk in Braintree, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available.

  • National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255.

  • Call 2 Talk: 508-532-2255.

  • Samaritans MA Statewide Hotline: 1-877-870-4673.

  • Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Crisis Hotline: 1-800-322-1356.

Reach Fred Hanson at fhanson@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Braintree: First responder suicide awareness walk is Sunday