Local suicide outreach group holds fundraiser

September is suicide prevention month.

A local response team held its 6th annual 5k run and walk fundraiser.

The Lincoln Lancaster county local outreach to suicide survives, referred to as the LOSS team, held a fund raising event Sunday afternoon.

It was a fun event that featured live music, food and access to over a dozen community resources.

"It’s also to celebrate our survival because it’s a long process to come through grieving to someone who has died by suicide and realize that they are always going to be with you and that life can go on and you can get stronger from it," said Terri Marti, LOSS Team Member and event organizer.

The event took place at the Antelope Park Bandshell, and it featured a 5k run and walk to raise money for the LOSS team.

Members are on call 24/7… They respond to all suicides and make contact with the families. A technique that has proved to be effective.

But it hasn’t always been that way.

"When I lost my son thirteen years ago there was not a LOSS team, there was no one who came to me physically and said hey I lost a loved one due to suicide," said Daryl Phillips, LOSS Team Member.

The team was formed in 2009 and consists of trained volunteers that have lost someone to suicide.

"One in six people have a personal connection to someone who has died by suicide. And when one person dies you can have a ripple effect, 15 to 20 to 60 to 70 people will be effected by that person leaving," said Marti.

Before the run and walk began, people wrote messages to a loved one on a balloon and released them… Watching as they blew away…

Events like these are all about providing support and community awareness for an important issue that isn’t talked about enough.

"People in this space understand what you are going through. They are all here because they knew someone personally or care about someone in the community to help people grieve, if we get through that we are stronger, we are better as a community," said Marti.

The LOSS team is a resource available to all community members who have lost a loved one to suicide.

If you are interested in setting up a meeting the number to call is 402-440-1633.