This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Remembrance Walk, a gathering of survivors, friends, and families will gather to celebrate the lives of loved ones lost to suicide. Held on the morning of September 10 at Loose Park, the walk raises funds for Suicide Awareness Survivor Support (SASS-MoKan), a grassroots nonprofit organization connecting community support groups that unite survivors of suicide. All money raised remains in the Kansas City metro area, supporting affected families and communities.
Bonnie and Mickey Swade started SASS-MoKan to honor their son, Brett, after he lost his life to suicide, but have since retired from organizing events. This year, Tony Medina is stepping in. “Over four years ago, my sister Unity died by suicide. My life has not been the same since,” Medina says. “I have been sad, I have been angry and confused, I have felt depressed, but I have learned. I learned that everything I felt following the loss of my sister was normal and that it was okay. That grief takes time with no right way to cope with it.”
Suicide is still a leading cause of death in the U.S., rising to the eleventh leading cause in 2021, according to CNN. SASS-MoKan provides education about suicide awareness and prevention, hoping to reduce the stigma and shame associated with suicide. “During the first months after the loss, I could not explain how I felt or what to say to others. I couldn’t even talk to my mom, I was so lost,” Medina says. “I did not feel right, I was in my own little world of grief with no end in sight, and I had no answers. I also learned first-hand about the stigma surrounding suicide.”
Medina currently serves on the Leadership Team of the Johnson County Suicide Prevention Coalition and was the 2022 Coalition Chair. He’s also a board member for Friends of Johnson County Mental Health, and board secretary for Kansas City Pride Community Alliance. “I thought fundraising would be a way for me to support the cause, little did I know how much impact this event would have on me,” he says. “While I was there listening to stories from other survivors, shedding tears while reading the memorial wall, and walking a few miles to raise money, that’s when I realized I was not alone—that I was going to be okay. It was a profound feeling to be surrounded by hundreds of strangers with one thing in common—suicide.”
Medina felt somewhat healed by the Remembrance Walk in 2021. “I had grown through my grief. While I still had tears in my eyes and missed my sister tremendously, I was no longer lost. There was comfort in celebrating the life of my sister Unity while being surrounded by this community—a community we did not choose for ourselves, yet we come together as one. I want to continue to bring hope to people affected by suicide and work to reduce deaths by suicide in our community.”
The walk begins at 9 a.m., and there will be a dove release around 10 a.m. Register online.