Wichita State’s Suspenders4Hope program brought the Sedgwick County community together for their annual suicide awareness 5k run and 1-mile walk on Saturday. 

Wichita State’s mental health awareness program, Suspenders4Hope, partnered with local organization StopSuicideICT to host their second annual 5k run and memorial 1-mile walk. Suspenders4Hope works to create a culture on WSU’s campus that helps reduce the stigma against mental health and encourage students who are struggling to seek help. 

Jessica Provines, assistant vice president for wellness and co-creator of the Suspenders4Hope program, said she wanted to bring the community together in support.  

“We want to bring the community together today to raise awareness on this important issue and to help people heal if you’ve lost someone to suicide,” Provines said. “By being able to connect with a community, if you yourself are struggling, knowing you’re not alone and there are resources and people available can be everything.” 

Suspenders4Hope partnered with several local organizations that have resources available, including several substance abuse treatment and prevention programs, such as Mirror Inc. and Valley Hope, and general healthcare providers, like M-Care Healthcare, which specializes in healthcare for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Suspenders4Hope’s partner, StopSuicideICT, donates 100% of its profits to local suicide prevention and education in Sedgwick County. 

Krista Reed, director of social media for StopSuicideICT, set up a prize wheel as a way to include children in the sensitive but important subject. 

“We believe that a big part of suicide awareness and prevention is having those hard and difficult discussions with your children at a young age,” Reed said.

 Suspenders4Hope is affiliated with Wichita State’s Counseling and Prevention Services (CAPS) on campus. 

CAPS is located at the Student Wellness Center inside WSU’s Steve Clark YMCA and is an on-campus resource for students to receive mental health services. 

You can call to schedule an appointment at 316-978-4792, or you can go onto their website at wichita.edu/CAPS.