Pair of Monday sessions in Waukon will focus on raising suicide prevention awareness
Monday, February 28 will be a day devoted to raising awareness for suicide prevention in Waukon and the surrounding community, as the Alive and Running Iowa organization will conduct a pair of events aimed at helping save lives and reducing suicidal behaviors.
Alive & Running Iowa began as a running event held annually in the small Iowa town of Dunkerton but has grown into a non-profit organization to help raise awareness about suicide and suicide prevention. Co-founders Troy Belmer and Ryan Nesbit organized Alive & Running Iowa in 2009 in honor of their friend, Roger, who they lost to suicide when they were sophomores at Dunkerton High School in 1991.
Since then, in addition to conducting the annual running event in their hometown, the two also make presentations and work with numerous other agencies toward that same goal of suicide awareness and prevention.
Monday, February 28 will feature QPR (Question. Persuade. Refer) Training conducted by Nesbit for students in grades 9-12 at Waukon High School during the school day. An evening session, from 6-8 p.m., will also be held at the Waukon High School Auditorium, and that evening session is open to anyone in the community wishing to attend.
The Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) Training teaches individuals how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade and refer someone to the help they may need. With a focus on saving lives and reducing suicidal behaviors by providing innovative, practical and proven suicide prevention training, QPR is based on the premise that quality education empowers all people, regardless of their background, to make a positive difference in the life of someone they know.
More information about Alive & Running Iowa can be found online at www.aliveandrunningiowa.com. Anyone with further questions on the February 28 presentation events can contact Waukon High School Guidance Counselor Amy Wasson at 563-568-3466, ext. 2510.
