Hundreds walk in the name of suicide prevention in Jax Beach Saturday morning

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — It’s now been nearly 40 years since Jefry Kleine got the call that his sister Jackie had taken her own life, turning him and his family’s lives upside down in an instant.

“It’s one of those scars where you always have it. It heals, but you always have it,” Klein recounted to Action News Jax.

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Saturday morning in Jacksonville Beach, Klein and many others impacted by  suicide walked side by side in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s “Out Darkness Walk,”

The event aimed to provide those affected by this issue a chance to know they’re not alone in their grief and to heal.

“Having somebody who’s gone through it, I think talking is the best medicine,” said Klein.

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While the event also aimed to raise money for a lifesaving cause, with over $60,000 raised at Saturday’s event.

“We’re the largest funder of research about suicide prevention in the country,” explained Wendy Mercer with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The hope Saturday also to save lives by raising awareness one dollar and one walker at a time.

“We do have resources, talks we take to the community, such as ‘Talks Saves Lives.’ We can take it to businesses, schools, etc, and give information on signs of suicide and what to do if you see the signs,” Mercer explained.

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