Suicide Awareness Walk in Baldwin County among efforts to prevent self-harm

The Suicide Awareness Walk in Baldwin County was just one way the Gulf Coast raised awareness about preventing self-harm.

by: Summer Poole

Posted: Sep 24, 2023 / 03:05 PM CDT

Updated: Sep 24, 2023 / 03:05 PM CDT

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month in the U.S., and the Gulf Coast has taken that mission to heart with a number of events.

For instance, students at Baldwin County High School partnered with the City of Bay Minette to hold The Light in the Darkness Suicide Awareness Walk Thursday night. The walk served as a way to “promote awareness, prevention and remembrance,” a news release stated.

Frances Holk-Jones, an Alabama State Representative from Baldwin County, was the guest speaker and shared the story about the loss of her 16-year-old daughter, Jennifer Claire Moore, in 1997.

She also discussed the loss of her husband just three years later. The family developed the Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation to provide programs and resources to the Baldwin County community.

The walk was organized by members of the Baldwin County High School Student Council, BCHS Peer Helpers, BCHS National Honor Society, BCHS Future Business Leaders of America and the City of Bay Minette. The high school band also played during the walk.

Local Resources

The suicide rate was 16.4 per 100,000 people in 2019 in Alabama, making it the 12th leading cause of death in the state. 67.5% of suicides in the state were by using a firearm.

WKRG has compiled this list of some Gulf Coast resources for people experiencing thoughts of self-harm: