Contributed Article/Courtesy Ron and Theresa Campbell
MORENCI – We are excited to announce that we are holding our 7th Annual Coty Denogean Memorial Suicide Awareness Walk in Morenci on Nov. 11, starting at 9 a.m. at the Morenci football field.
We do this walk in memory of our nephew, Coty, who at the age of 17 wrote his own ending. No warning, no hints, no drugs – just made a final decision that he didn’t think he could go on. This walk is to raise suicide awareness and to let others know that there are people who care and are willing to listen. We need to be more open about suicidal feelings and get rid of the stigma and shame.
As mentioned, this is our seventh walk and the number of volunteers and attendees continues to grow. This gives us an indication that the walk is well received.
This event is put on with help from our community, and we are greatly blessed. We welcome and appreciate any assistance, participation, and support.
The program starts at 9 a.m. at the Morenci High School Football Field, and we will begin the walk portion at about 10:15 a.m. The 2.1-mile walk will start at the field and then proceed up Coronado Boulevard, past the Morenci Motel, and then down Fairbanks Road back to the football field. Lunch will be provided by Morenci and Clifton fire departments for those who participate.
Last year we continued our 50/50 raffle to raise money for a scholarship(s) in the awareness of suicide prevention. It was a great success and we actually awarded three scholarships to deserving Greenlee County graduates.
The fact that we were able to get attention to suicide prevention to our Greenlee County high school students is powerful.
