Participants had the opportunity to light a candle in memory of a loved one at the Putnam County Suicide Awareness event in Leipsic on Sunday.
Jessica Trinko | The Lima News
LEIPSIC — Families and friends of those who died by suicide showed they still remembered and missed them Sunday afternoon at the second annual Putnam County Suicide Awareness event.
The organization’s goal is to raise awareness of mental health and resources available to shoe in crisis, as well as reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness, organizers said. If people feel like they need help, they can call or text the suicide and crisis lifeline at 988.
While last year’s inaugural event attracted around 200 people, this year’s event brought nearly 1,000 people to the Fogle Center in Leipsic. Interest has grown so much, the event will move to the Putnam County Fairgrounds on Sept. 14, 2025. The event including options for a one-mile walk and a five-kilometer run or walk.
Many families gathered together and walked together in memory of loved ones who died by suicide. Some carried pictures or wore buttons with their faces.
Others created custom T-shirts. One group had shirts resembling a music player with Avril Lavigne’s “Wish You Were Here” on them. Others had inspiring phrases such as “no one fights alone” or “you matter.”
The official T-shirt for the event included the affirmation, “You are loved. You are enough. You are irreplaceable.”
There was also a quiet corner inside the Fogle Center where people wrote names and turned on an electric candle in memory of that person.
Most everyone’s felt the impact of suicide and its aftermath, said local auctioneer Doug Fenbert, who served as the emcee Sunday.
“We know some friends and families out there who’ve experienced suicide,” Fenbert said. “When they asked if I could come help, I was glad to do it.”
The Ohio Department of Health noted Putnam County had 12.5 suicide deaths adjusted to 100,000 people of population between 2020 and 2022. Auglaize County’s rate was 14.8, and Allen County’s death was 21.1. In 2022, 1,797 Ohioans died by suicide, a 2% increase compared to 2021.
Elaine Kiene, a counselor with Embolden Therapy and Welness and a Columbus Grove resident, shared her story of the impact of suicide to those remaining. She lost her father to suicide when she was 24.
Kiene will also be leading a new monthly suicide grief support group, which will meet the first Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. starting Nov. 5 at 505 E. Jefferson St., Bluffton. People can sign up by texting 419-210-3636 with their name, phone number and email address to receive an intake packet.
The event also included informational booths from various organizations, food and bouncy houses, as well as a performance by youth from the Dance Center in Ottawa.
