Sharing Kindness walk supports suicide prevention on Cape Cod

The Sharing Kindness suicide awareness walk is scheduled for May 16 at Veterans Park Beach in Hyannis, according to a community announcement.

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The walk is the signature fundraiser for the South Harwich-based nonprofit Sharing Kindness, with proceeds benefiting its suicide awareness and prevention programs on Cape Cod and the Islands.

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This year, members of the 14 Hope Squads in the region are expected to lead activities before the walk, volunteer as course marshals and walk alongside attendees on the three-mile route.

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Sharing Kindness began supporting Hope Squad, a national peer-to-peer suicide prevention program, in local schools four years ago, starting with Falmouth High School. The organization hopes to use funds from the walk to bring the program to six more schools, for a total of 20 middle and high schools.

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“It is incredibly rewarding to see this program grow. We're hearing from students that more of their peers are seeking help, that their schools are using less stigmatizing language, and that students are feeling seen, heard and connected to their peers. Hope Squad is changing the culture of our local schools in a meaningful and positive way,” Executive Director Kimberely Mead-Walters said in the announcement.

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In addition to Hope Squad, Sharing Kindness provides QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training to community members and a range of clinician-led grief support groups, including those for suicide loss.

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Check-in for the walk starts at 8:30 a.m., along with pre-walk activities such as face painting, door prizes, a bead table with Mardi Gras-style beads representing different connections to the cause, music from Stephanie Viva of Lemonadio and guided movement on the beach at 9 a.m. Attendees can also write messages about people they have lost to suicide to display on the Memory Wall at the event.

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The opening ceremony at 10 a.m. will feature speakers close to the cause, including Dawn Spunzo, a Hope Squad Advisor for Sturgis East Charter High School, and Isiah Johnson, a former member of Cape Cod Regional Technical High School’s Hope Squad who now attends Bridgewater State University.

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“This cause is important to me because, as a former Hope Squad member, I learned how powerful it can be to notice when someone is struggling, listen without judgment, and help connect them to support,” Johnson said. “Since then, suicide awareness has become personal to me, especially after losing someone close to me. Speaking at this event gives me the chance to use my voice to honor that loss while challenging others to start conversations before it is too late. I believe hope begins when ordinary people choose to care, speak up, and remind others they are not alone.”

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Throughout the walk route, members of the Cape Cod Athletic Club will be directing attendees and cheering them on. The club, which is the presenting sponsor of the event, provides more than 30 volunteers who assist with check-in, serve as course marshals and help in the planning process.

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Upon their return, walkers are invited to stay for a closing mindfulness circle, as well as the announcement of prize winners, and grab lunch from the Red River BBQ food truck and ice cream from Ice Cream Café.