EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes content related to suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988 or visiting the online chat at 988lifeline.org

A mental health organization called Centerstone is bringing its race for suicide prevention to Marion for the second time on Saturday, Sept. 7. 

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“Mental health and suicide and those kind of topics a lot of times are really stigmatized in our society, and it can sometimes be looked down upon for when people are trying to have conversations about these really important and impactful topics,” Robert Lambert, vice president of external affairs at Centerstone, said. “And so this event creates an opportunity for us to have positive conversations about mental health, to share resources in the community and to really encourage people to check on their friends [and] their loved ones.” 

The event is called Centerstone Life;Story 5k, and will be held at the Harry L. Crisp Sports Complex in Marion on Sept. 7 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with the race beginning at 7:30. 

Director of Advancement Erin Camfield is the lead for the event. She said it has a semicolon in its name to represent “continuation.” 

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“Where an author could have chose to end their story, they’re choosing to continue their story,” Camfield said. “So an individual who might be impacted by thoughts of suicide or hurting themselves are choosing to continue their life and to continue their story. And that’s really what Life;Story is all about. It is an event to promote suicide prevention.” 

According to its website, “Centerstone is a nonprofit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments for people of all ages.” This includes veterans, active military members and their families, who can all receive services at no cost. 

“We go above and beyond by offering services to the families, and it also does not matter if the veteran was discharged [or] what their discharge status is,” Camfield said. 

In addition to Illinois, Centerstone has services in Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida.  

“We do everything from outpatient counseling to residential rehab to detoxification services to housing to community-based programs for children and adults. So at Centerstone, we really do kind of run the gamut of all mental health services across our footprint,” Lambert said.  

Life;Story is Centerstone’s signature event. It began nearly 20 years ago in Florida, but is now becoming an annual occurrence for Illinois. 

“The [Centerstone] Foundation has said that they would like to get Life;Story, which…really emphasizes the work that Centerstone does and the reason that we are here to help people with mental health wellness and their treatments and prevent suicide and be of service in crisis situations,” Camfield said. “So they had asked who would be willing to take on another Life;Story event in their state, and I said ‘I will.’ It is actually something that Centerstone is looking to eventually grow…We’re actually adding a Life;Story event in Tennessee next year.” 

Participants of all ages and fitness levels are invited to walk, run or complete the race virtually. 

Camfield said, “The virtual option allows people to sign up if they aren’t able to attend in person, whether it be because of distance from the location, or if they have a conflict with their schedule…This will allow them to walk or run wherever is convenient for them and at a time that is convenient for them.”

She said that once someone registers for the virtual option, instructions will be sent to them over email. The participant will then have between Aug. 30 and Sept. 7 to submit their time and be eligible for a prize. 

The event is not just a race, however. There will be guest speakers, face painting, informational booths, food trucks, awards and ceremonies – all of which are free to the public. 

“We start it off with an opening ceremony, with a brief introduction from our CEO,” Camfield said. “We do a presentation of colors, actually SIU’s ROTC will be doing [it] for us, and we have a youth coming in this year to sing the national anthem.” 

At the conclusion of the race, all participants are welcomed back to the stage area. 

“We award a Life;Story Champion Award, and this is awarded to someone in Illinois who has made a significant impact in mental health in the Illinois community,” she said. “And we also bring in a guest speaker that talks about how suicide has impacted their life, and then we award first place awards to both male and female in the Masters overall and 18 and Under categories.”

Nominations for the Life;Story Champion Award were submitted via a survey by community members. Camfield said they are “always looking for guest speakers” and that inquiries can be emailed to her at [email protected]. 

The race also has what Centerstone calls their Health and Wellness Expo.

“As part of this event as well, we invite health and wellness organizations throughout the community to join us at no charge,” Camfield said. “They’re able to put up a table and share some of the benefits and services that they can provide to residents and community members.”

Among the confirmed organizations are Take Action Today; SIU Medical Center; Radiance Coaching; Jackson County Health Department; Be SMART; Franklin-Williamson and Perry-Jackson Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC); Aetna; Molina Healthcare of Illinois; Egyptian Health Department; Stress and Trauma Treatment Center, Inc.; Gateway Foundation; Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois; Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS); and Shawnee Health. 

Two animal-related organizations will also be there: Ready Set Sit LLC, which is a dog-training program, and Herrin Animal Control, which Camfield said will be bringing dogs that are available for adoption. 

“They’re going to make those animals available for people to walk or run with during the race, and then they’ll also have on-site adoption applications available,” she said. 

Camfield said they are looking to create opportunities that are not just for the race participants. 

“That whole portion is open to the public, whether they register to participate in the race or not,” she said. “So they can just come and check out the event, and not actually participate [or] receive a t-shirt or anything like that, [but] check out some of the vendor tables and see what Life;Story is all about.” 

Entry fees for the race start at $40 dollars for virtual and $35 for in-person. For those interested in participating, several discount codes are available: 

• STUDENT, free entry for K-12 students 0-18 years of age
• COLLEGE, $20 entry for any college student
• MILITARY5, $5 discount for any military veteran or active duty military personnel
• 1STRESPONSE5, $5 discount for any first responders, including police, fire, EMS, 911 operators, etc. 

“We’re really trying to remove any barriers that we can so that everyone feels able to participate this year,” Lambert said. 

Camfield added, “All registrations, even at a discount or the free option, include a race t-shirt and a finisher’s medal.” 

She also shared testimonies from last year’s participants. She said “one of the biggest compliments” received “that really stands out” expressed how different the race was compared to other 5ks “because the cause was shared.” 

“So many times you go to a 5k–I’ve participated in 5ks. I show up as soon as they say… ‘start’…and then as soon as I cross the finish line I leave, because I know that I didn’t place or win an award,” she said. “But we have that opening ceremony and we have that closing ceremony where it’s not just about ‘Okay, come start the race and then leave if you didn’t win. Thank you for donating your money.’ We’re really making this more of an event by bringing in guest speakers and having people speak about suicide prevention and Centerstone itself.” 

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, suicide is the third leading cause of death for ages 15 to 34, and the 11th overall, in the state. 

“Although it’s very widespread…it’s not something that you can necessarily connect with those that are closest to you because they don’t have the same shared experience as you,” Camfield said. “So it really creates that opportunity to find individuals within your community who have the same shared experiences as you that you can connect with.” 

She said the event is “impactful” and “meaningful.” 

“As I get out into the community and I talk about Life;Story, 95% of the people that I talk to know someone who has [died by] suicide or has thought about suicide. They’ve been impacted by suicide in one form or another,” she said.

Camfield said suicide knows no limits. 

“It doesn’t matter what social class you’re from, what ethnicity you are, it impacts all of us,” she said.

In addition to creating connections and spreading awareness about the services offered, Camfield said Life;Story lets attendees know that there is “no shame in the thoughts that they may be having.” 

“If they’re thinking of hurting themselves, they shouldn’t be ashamed of that,” she said. “But most importantly, they should know that they’re not alone and that there is help out there, and they should be able to know how to get that help so that they do not become a victim of suicide.” 

Participants can register online at centerstonelifestory.org or on the day of the race, beginning at 6:00 a.m. The registration page for Illinois also includes details and registration for those interested in volunteering. 

“Whether you’ve been impacted by suicide or not, come out, show your support, because for every person out there who is openly admitting that they’re having thoughts of suicide, there’s probably 10 who are too scared to say anything,” Camfield said. “So come out and show your support and be a support system for those people who are struggling.” 

News Editor Carly Gist can be reached at [email protected]

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