Brian Hagberg
WARREN, Pa. – Despite the rain and ensuing cold front, hundreds gathered at the Warren Area High School cafeteria Sunday for the Inaugural Suicide Awareness Walk.
The event, created by the Class of 2025 officers in response to the deaths of two students and a teacher by suicide this academic year, also had to contend with a late change of venue as a result of forecasted severe storms.
“We had to do a lot of work on Friday and get the word out so people didn’t go to Betts (the original venue),” Class of 2025 Co-President Ella Getner said. “we had a lot of work put into this, and had a good turnout.”
Attendees began arriving well before the advertised 2 p.m. start time, and when Getner officially kicked off the event, the WAHS cafeteria was near to capacity.
“People were just coming in bunches,” Class of 2025 Treasurer Madison McDunn said. “It was crazy, but it put a smile on my face because of the purpose of the event.”
That purpose was made crystal clear when Nicki Egger, whose son Ryan was one of two WAHS students who died by suicide in December, gave an emotional address shortly after the event began.
“It’s lovely that we’re all here, but we shouldn’t be,” Egger said. “We don’t want an explanation. We want a demonstration, and this is such a beautiful demonstration. Thank you all for the continued demonstration that you show me and my family. There isn’t any way to get through this without you.”
The WAHS hallways were adorned with signs giving encouragement, and information about where to get help for mental health issues.
“It’s mental health month, it’s suicide awareness. It took me a long time to even say that stupid word,” Egger said. “And I don’t think that when we think about suicide, and we think about mental health, we don’t realize how normal it is. That’s why it’s important.”
A number of mental health advocates were on hand as well to provide resources for those struggling with mental health.
“We aren’t extremely knowledgeable on all these things and those people are,” McDunn said. “A lot of people actually do need help and they’re just not coming out and saying it, and having these people here might help somebody.”
See the full interview with McDunn and Getner here:
A loop was created using the WAHS hallways for those wishing to walk. The loop measured about 1/10 mile and many walked the 10 laps necessary to put in a full mile, with some going for even more.
“There’s one kid who said he wanted to do three miles,” Getner said.
Multiple vendors and sponsors were on hand to share their resources. Food, beverages, and games were available, and Alyssa Wismar provided live musical entertainment.
“I grew up with Alyssa and I love hearing her sing,” McDunn said. “It always brings a smile to my face, and it’s very emotional too. Whenever you sit there and listen to her, she can make you bawl. It can be the happiest song ever, she is a great singer and she’s going to go places someday.”
Though WAHS dealt most directly with the deaths, it was important to the students to make this event something for the entire community. That’s one reason they felt having Wismar, an Eisenhower student, participate was so important.
“I think it’s so important that she’s here, and she really is making it more of a ‘together’ type of event,” Getner said.
With the inaugural event concluded, the officers can assess what they’ve learned and apply it to the 2nd annual event in 2023.
“It was so important that this went well,” Getner said. “We got most of the hiccups out of the way, and we know what we’re going to do now.”
