Fun-filled Color Run brings awareness to serious topics

by:  Katie Writer – KTNA

Last week, suicide prevention and depression awareness were the themes of the Su Valley High School Color Run.

KTNA’s Katie Writer has more.

The Su Valley High School track and field area took on the look of a carnival-like atmosphere. Booths were set up offering snacks, girl scout cookies and informative flyers. Children were signing each other’s t-shirts as well as writing cheerful messages on squares of cloth. Dozens of kids wearing white the Color Run t-shirts lined up at the starting line.

Out on the trail system, volunteers were ready to spray the participants with color as they ran a 2 kilometer course.  By the end of the race the kids would be wet with the colorful spray and soon to be covered head to toe in this washable concoction.

The purpose of this fun family event is to raise  awareness about the very serious topic of suicide awareness and prevention. Alaska has the highest suicide rate in the nation.

Anna Jolly is working with several community organizations to put on the Color Run.

“We received a grant from Alaska Community Foundation for Teen Suicide Prevention. We asked a bunch of educators including Mat Su Coalition for Suicide Preventions,Thrive Mat Su, United Way,

Alaska Family Services all here to present resources and information for healthy relationships and healthy living for families and youth.”

Cici Schoenberger is a Behavior Health Provider for the Sunshine Community Health Center.

She says that it is important to remove the stigma about the uncomfortable conversation of depression and suicide. The detection of early warning signs can often be made by an individuals’ friends and family.

“If there’s changes in behavior, changes in mood…giving things away, either talking about it directly or withdrawing, but to really just address it directly, saying “I’m noticing some of your behavior is changing.  I’m noticing that you’re depressed.  Have you been thinking about suicide?  Sometimes people think that you’re putting thoughts in their head.  They have them there. They often want to talk about it.”

Cici says that once the conversation is initiated people are often afraid of what to do next.

“I really want to emphasize that people are afraid that, ‘If I ask them questions about depression or suicide, uh-oh, what have I gotten myself into?’ They don’t need to know the answers.  They need to be able to point them in the direction of the professional help….It’s a community problem, and we have to address it as a community.  Everybody needs to know that there are safe people to talk to about it.”

The phone number for the Sunshine Community Health Center’s  Behavioral Health Program is 733-2273.