EDMOND —
Hundreds of purposeful Edmond runners are preparing for R3 when they will — run to remember, run to refuse and run for a reason.
During a two-week span in January 2012, three Edmond teenagers lost their lives to suicide. Their families, friends and the community were emotionally devastated.
The strength of the community shone throughout those dark times immediately following those tragic two weeks. The amount of love, caring and genuine kindness known to Edmond and Oklahoma City was prevalent all across the city.
Since then, more lives have been tragically cut short in Edmond and other communities across the state. They have been males and females of all age groups.
Edmond officers deal with mental health calls every day. In 2012, Edmond Police officers responded to 13 suicides and 55 attempted suicides, said Edmond Police Department spokeswoman Jenny Monroe. City officers also responded to 106 emergency detention calls and 49 other mental illness calls, Monroe said.
The department has officers on each shift specifically trained to handle mental health situations, Monroe said. It takes an enormous amount of time and effort to find the people in these situations a bed for evaluation and treatment.
There simply are not enough beds in the area on any given day, Monroe said.
“What the suicide and attempted suicide numbers don’t show you is the amount of people we take to a facility to be evaluated as an emergency detention incident,” she said. “They almost triple those who attempted suicide. These are people who are a threat to themselves or others and are in a state of crisis.”
R3 was created to remember the loved ones lost, to refuse to ever let this happen again and to realize that people are all here for a reason, organizers stated on the race’s website. They urged area residents to come celebrate life, family, friends and community on Saturday.
Early registration for the race ended Sunday. However, runners still will be able to register at the race. For more information about the event, visit foreveredmond.com.
The money raised from the event, which will feature a 5K, which starts at 10 a.m., and a 1 mile fun run/walk, which starts at 9:30 a.m., will help create Oklahoma’s first American Foundation for Suicide Prevention chapter in Oklahoma. The events will begin at Hafer Park, 1034 S. Bryant, pavilion No. 4.
Event sponsors are Red Coyote Running and Fitness, 5800 N. Classen Boulevard, Oklahoma City, where runners will pick up their running gear before the race from noon-6 p.m., Sara Sara Cupcakes, which has locations in Oklahoma City and Edmond, Iguana Mexican Grill, located in Oklahoma City, Johnnie’s Charcoal Broiler, which has two locations in Edmond and University Silkscreen, located in Norman.
For assistance with mental health issues, call 2-1-1, HeartLine’s 24/7 information and referral line for health and human service needs. Callers can get help, hope and information from a database of more than 3,000 partner agencies and 6,000 individual services. Also, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a helpline answered by HeartLine in Oklahoma.
ABOUT THE AFSP
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and to those affected by suicide, according to information at the organization’s website: www.afsp.org.
In 1987, a number of leading experts on suicide came together with business and community leaders and survivors of suicide to form AFSP, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Many original founders were concerned with the alarming rise in youth suicide over the past four decades. During this period, the suicide of young men had tripled; that of young women had doubled. Suicide is now the second major cause of death among high school and college students. Suicide is even more frequent among older people. The highest rates are found in men older than 50, according to the AFSP.
Before it was formed, there was no national not-for-profit organization dedicated to funding the research and education programs necessary to prevent suicide.
They believed only a combined effort would make it possible to fund the research necessary for progress in the prevention of suicide. Such an approach has proven successful with heart disease, cancer and diabetes and it was hoped that it would be successful in dealing with depression and suicide, they reasoned.
marks@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 108
Local News
Edmondites prep for suicide awareness race
Event proceeds to help start AFSP Okla. chapter
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EF-5 tornado called 'worst in history'
President Barack Obama pledged the federal government’s full support for disaster relief in what is being called one of the most devastating tornadoes in history. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has deployed a team to the state.
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UPDATE: How to donate, find drop-off locations for relief supplies
Below is a listing of where donations may be taken in the Edmond area to help the Moore/Oklahoma tornado victims:
The Edmond Sun is serving as a drop-off location for the downtown Edmond area for the American Red Cross. Supplies only may be dropped off at 123 S. Broadway and residents may use the back door to enter the building. Parking is available behind the building at the Festival Market Place. Donations may be taken to Café Evoke, 103 S. Broadway, from 5-10 p.m. -
ME’s office begins identifying Moore, OKC victims
The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office today began releasing names of those who perished in Monday’s 17-mile long EF-5 tornado in Moore and Oklahoma City.
As of this morning the official death toll remains at 24. Of those dead are 10 children. -
Okla. officials vow not to quit looking until everyone is found
The tornado that killed 24 people and injured at least 100 others in the Moore and Oklahoma City area cut a 17-mile-long path that started in Newcastle and ended at Lake Stanley Draper. Nine of the dead are children.
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UPDATE: How to donate, find drop-off locations for relief supplies
Below is a listing of where donations may be taken in the Edmond area to help the Moore/Oklahoma tornado victims:
• The Edmond Sun is serving as a drop-off location for the downtown Edmond area. Supplies only may be dropped off at 123 S. Broadway and residents may use the backdoor to enter the building. Parking is available behind the building at the Festival Market Place. From 5-10 p.m. donations may be taken to Café Evoke, 103 S. Broadway.
• Edmond North High School is serving as a drop-off location for bottled water through today
• Memorial High School is serving as a drop-off location for food through today.
• Santa Fe High School is serving as a drop-off location for supplies such as work gloves, tools, etc. through today. -
Storm shelter inquiries up; customers take a number
After the horrific tornado set down in Moore Monday afternoon, storm shelter inquiries hit new highs.
Tuesday Ashley Cunningham, office manager for Red Dirt Septic on Waterloo Road in Edmond, and Mark Webb, owner of the Armor Vault Tornado Shelter in Oklahoma City, said their phones have been ringing consistently starting Monday afternoon. -
Edmond detective describes tornado devastation
Like other Oklahomans, Edmond Police Detective Marion Cain was keeping an eye on the weather Monday.
The storm, which produced the tornado began at 2:45 p.m., about 4.4 miles west of Newcastle and its 20-mile long path went through Newcastle, Moore and south Oklahoma City. About 10 minutes after it formed, it was already causing EF4 damage. Maximum winds of the tornado, upgraded to an EF5, were 200-210 mph, according to information released at 2:50 p.m. Tuesday by the National Weather Service. Its estimated maximum width was 1.3 miles. -
Edmond high schools aid Moore, OKC tornado victims
Sometimes good things come from texting.
Monday afternoon, Sydney Richardson, who will be Santa Fe’s student body president next year, was driving home and it was raining. Once home, she talked to her mother, who told her about the tornado in Moore. Then she began seeing the damage on TV.
“It was devastating,” Richardson said. “We watched it all night long. I just felt like we needed to do something immediately.” -
Insurers respond to Moore disaster
Insurers, like other agencies related to the Moore tornado disaster, are assessing the damage.
The Oklahoma Insurance Department has made an emergency declaration, allowing out-of-state adjusters to work storm damaged areas, said agency spokeswoman Calley Herth. It’s too soon to have tabulated damage estimates, Herth said.
“We are working hard to collect any and all numbers, but it’s just too soon at this moment,” she said. -
AG issues charity fraud and schemes alert
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt Tuesday issued a warning for Oklahomans and donors around the country to beware of charity fraud and scams following the severe storms in Oklahoma.
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