Features Editor

Family members of those who have committed suicide and supporters took to Beach Park Saturday morning to participate in Save A Life Today’s fourth annual Stomp Out Suicide community walk.

SALT, as the group is alternatively called, is a not-for-profit organization that works to bring suicide awareness to the people of Bakersfield. The organization’s mission is to prevent suicide and eliminate the stigma around it.

The community walk began with a speech from Bakersfield mayor, Karen Goh, who proclaimed September 8 “Stomp Out Suicide Day.”

Booths were set up along the grass which offered information, SALT merchandise and “memory beads” to those who attended.  The beads varied in color and were for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. Each color represented a different relation. The loss of a child was denoted by white beads, while the loss of a parent was represented through gold beads.

Dressed in T-shirts made to commemorate the memory of family members who have committed suicide and as many beads as was appropriate to each person, people walked three laps around the 24th and Oak street park in the 81 degree heat.

Carol Mallory is a SALT board member and worked the merchandise table. Her son was a California Highway Patrol officer in Santa Maria. On Oct. 15th, 2015 at the age of 41, Mallory’s son took his own life. She was referred to SALT by a therapist.

“He was the perfect child,” Mallory said. “I had five children but he was the one that—he did everything right. And it was a very difficult time for his siblings, myself, his dad.”

While Mallory’s family completed the walk, she worked the T-shirt booth to raise money for SALT.

“Our funding goes toward suicide prevention. It also helps families that, at our discretion, are short of funds for a funeral,” Mallory said.

After the last lap around the park, the drawing for the opportunity baskets began. Handmade goodie baskets were filled with everything from David Carr-signed footballs, alcoholic beverages, zombie survival kits, iPads, movie night supplies and so on.

Thirty-three-year-old Chad Garcia-Mioni, who formerly served in the Army, co-hosted the opportunity baskets give away. Having served in the military, Garcia-Mioni was no stranger to suicide. However, it was his mother’s suicide nine months ago that broke him.

“Looking back there were warning signs we didn’t understand, but now we do,” said Garcia-Mioni.

Garcia-Mioni wanted to let those dealing with the loss of a loved one to suicide know that they should not be afraid to reach out and that there are family survivor groups willing to help.

Ellen Eggert, who experienced the suicide of two brothers and two cousins, founded SALT four years ago. After working for a national organization for suicide prevention, Eggert wanted to focus her efforts on her local community.

“People think that there’s a certain type of person that takes their own life, but we’ve realized that anybody can be at risk for suicide,” Eggert said. “The latest study from the Centers for Disease Control show that 51 percent of those who have died by suicide in the last 20 years didn’t have a mental illness.”

The Stomp Out Suicide community walk concluded after the opportunity baskets were received.

To those thinking about ending their own lives, Garcia-Mioni offered advice.

“You’re loved. Even if you feel like you’re alone, someone out there cares about you,” Garcia-Mioni said.