SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A family is holding a rally in Sioux Falls this Saturday, in hopes of saving lives.
It’s been 4 months since we first told you about Hailey Barrick, a 21-year-old who died by suicide.
“So while I’m happy that all of her organs were able to be donated to people and was able to help save them, I’d rather my daughter be here,” Hailey Barrick’s mother, Larissa Strong, said in February.
Now, her mother is hosting a rally near the Arc of Dreams, on the riverfront of the Cherapa Place. It’s called Hailey’s Legacy Rally for Suicide Awareness and Prevention.
“Having a rally to bring this awareness out into the light and out into the public and so that everybody can see it because mental illness, depression, anxiety, suicide, even violence with firearms has really, in my estimation, has been pushed under the rug,” Strong said.
It will be an opportunity for people to remember loved ones lost to suicide and to heal.
Hailey’s family has invited several people including mental health experts, and the Sioux Police Chief.
“Events like this, or us highlighting this on a regular basis, just shows you that we care as a community. And while the system may not be perfect, there’s things we can take as individuals to help people out,” Sioux Fall Police Chief Jonathan Thum said.
State lawmakers are also expected to attend Hailey’s Legacy Rally, to talk about bipartisan legislation that could restrict people who have been in a mental health hold from obtaining a gun, like Hailey did.
“So if they’re put in there or even on an antipsychotic. But it’s not for like the everyday person, it’s for these specific reasons, these specific needs. If you’ve been put into a hospital for a mental health hold, there’s a reason behind that,” Strong said.
The ultimate goal of Hailey’s rally is to prevent future loss and help others impacted by suicide.
“It wasn’t a choice that I made to do this, it was something that I had to do,” Strong said.
Hailey’s Legacy Rally for Suicide Awareness and Prevention will take place this Saturday from 11 to 1, with t-shirts available for purchase through free-will donation.
If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, there is help. 988 is the Suicide Hotline number, with people ready and willing to talk to you.
Click here for more information on Hailey’s Legacy.
Click here for more information on the rally.
