The HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery, and Grand Counties recently held their First Annual Hoo-Doo You Run For 5k/10k on November 7. Castle Country Radio took time to sit down with Suicide Prevention Specialist, Amanda McIntosh to discuss how the event went.

“We had a great turn out, almost 100 participants, all keeping with COVID-19 restrictions, staying safe that way. We had a ton of donations both monetary and non-monetary donations come in, and it was a great event, it was very successful,” said McIntosh.  This was the first year the event was held and organizers were very impressed with the turn out that took place at the Goblin Valley State Park.

“Because of the location being in Goblin Valley and because of the COVID restrictions, and the weather forecast that we just missed out on, it was surprising to have that many participants, and also humbling to know that there are still that many families that are dealing with the aftermath of losing a loved one to suicide but also having the support of other survivors of suicide loss all in one place, it was a mixed emotion day,” stated McIntosh.  Officials hope that by hosting such events will help promote suicide prevention and bring awareness.

In October President Trump signed a bill to create a three-digit number, 988 for mental health emergencies.  “So having that quick 988 number is going to be super handy, and it will get them in contact with somebody that can help a lot faster so like I said that will go into effect July of 2022. You know the National Suicide Lifeline receives over 2.5 million phone calls in 2018, and over 20,000 of those phone calls were from our Utah family. So if we can get this phone number in front of our loved ones a lot quicker, and get access a lot quicker, all the better to prevent someone from taking their life,” explained McIntosh. As of right now, individuals in suicidal crisis can reach that hotline by dialing 1-800-273-8255 (TALK), but that number will be easier to remember once it transitions to its three-digit equivalent starting July 2022.

To learn more about the HOPE Squad of Carbon, Emery, and Grand Counties can visit their Facebook page.