A large crowd came out in support of the fifth annual Suicide Prevention Walk in Rankin Inlet on Aug. 28.

The annual event is held in memory of Terence Tootoo.

The crowd of people met at the Tootoo family home, walked around Williamson Lake to raise awareness of suicide prevention in Rankin, and then returned to the family home for a discussion and light refreshments.

TerenceSA国际影视传媒檚 dad, Barney, said his wife, Rose, puts a good deal of work into the event every year.

Barney said itSA国际影视传媒檚 devastating that so many people in the Kivalliq have lost someone they love to suicide.

But itSA国际影视传媒檚 100 per cent better to bring it out in the open than it is to keep it locked behind closed doors, he said.

SA国际影视传媒淚 know a lot of guys who have lost loved ones to suicide and they donSA国际影视传媒檛 want to talk about it, but thereSA国际影视传媒檚 no sense keeping it bottled inside because itSA国际影视传媒檚 just going to build and build until it takes over your life in one way or another,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲hen itSA国际影视传媒檚 bottled up like that SA国际影视传媒� in the end you start thinking about it yourself.SA国际影视传媒�

Barney said he hopes the Suicide Prevention Walk also helps to keep the topic highly visible in the region, and reminds the Government of Nunavut that a lot more has to be done, especially in the area of mental health.

He said it was nice to see this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 walk being a lot bigger than the one held the previous year.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think the wordSA国际影视传媒檚 getting out a little more about the walk every year because so many people continue to be touched by suicide,SA国际影视传媒� said Barney. SA国际影视传媒淲e even had a number of people we didnSA国际影视传媒檛 know come to this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 walk, and they all came inside and chatted a bit and that was really nice. We had some folks help out too, with our local kidsSA国际影视传媒� soccer coach Paul Stroeder working the barbecue for us. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 people like that you really want to keep in town here, because without people like Paul I donSA国际影视传媒檛 know what a lot of these kids in the soccer program would do.SA国际影视传媒�

Barney said itSA国际影视传媒檚 important to keep events like the Suicide Prevention Walk and the annual Terence Tootoo Memorial hockey tournament held in memory of his son going in the community.

He said other communities host similar events for the same reason, and they all seem to be getting a little bigger each year.

SA国际影视传媒淧eople really seem to want to get together and talk now, which is nice.

SA国际影视传媒淚n some ways, hosting these events is hard on all of us in the family, especially Rose, but ISA国际影视传媒檓 pretty sure suicide has touched every family in the Kivalliq, so weSA国际影视传媒檙e not alone in that regard, you know.

SA国际影视传媒淢y own opinion is that itSA国际影视传媒檚 good these events are getting people to come together, bringing this subject out in the open, and having it talked about it instead of trying to hold everything inside.SA国际影视传媒�

Barney's son, NHL hockey player Jordin, also does a great deal to promote suicide awareness during his travels, and he encourages kids across Nunavut to love life and follow their dreams, he said.

SA国际影视传媒淛ordin delivers a positive message everywhere he goes, and ISA国际影视传媒檓 so proud of the work he does bringing this out in the open to be talked about.

SA国际影视传媒淗e lets people know that there is help out there, and there are people out there who really care.

SA国际影视传媒淢y mom used to tell me that we have to keep moving on because, if we stop, weSA国际影视传媒檒l get left behind and have a hard time catching-up again, if at all.

SA国际影视传媒淪o, we try to let bygones be bygones as much as we can, but itSA国际影视传媒檚 always in the back of our minds.SA国际影视传媒�