080124_BattleCreekShopperNews_LOW

http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS Thursday, August 1, 2024 7

SHELLY KEHRLE-SULSER
Executive Editor

They formed a 501c3 non profit
five years ago to create awareness
and provide support for people
affected by suicide and called it
Suicide Prevdention and Awareness
of Calhoun County (SPACC.)
Having reached their five year
fundraising goal, and having cre-
ated more than 92 Buddy Benches
bearing the words, “You Are Never
Alone, There is Always Someone
to Talk To”, and, having held four
Ride for Awareness motorcycle and
car rallies, SPACC has dissolved.
But not before creating a new
way for their former organization
to keep the awareness going in
the form of a scholarship for any
high school junior who enters the
field of mental health, or teaching,
working with children, counseling
or the criminal justice system.
“We are continuing to help
people in the name of this organi-
zation,” explained founder Sharon
Wixson, whose lost her brother to
suicide in 2010. “We awarded our
first one in April and it’s a perpetu-
al scholarship that we’ll give long
after me and my board members
are gone, it will continue giving.”
The first scholarship recipi-
ent was Leeanna Silkworth, said
Wixson.
“We really would like to thank
our community for their support
over the last five years,” said
Wixson. “We would also like to
thank Doug Murphy for designing
and building the Buddy Benches,
Schweitzer Construction Co. for
taking over the building of the
Buddy Benches when it became
too much for one person, and
the Michigan Regional Council
of Carpenters and Millwrights
in Wayland, MI for finishing up
the bench building. Schweitzer
Construction also very gener-
ously opened up their Board Room
for our Organization to hold our
monthly meetings.”
Wixson, who founded the organiza-
tion with her husband, Jon, said the
board decided to dissolve the non-
profit due to the mounting demands
of volunteering for such an active
program.
“It’s just really, really hard to keep

Suicide Prevention of Calhoun County establishes scholarship fund, dissolves org.

Justin and Gayle Hofbauer, brother and mother to the late Spencer Hofbauer,

and Kelly Cariuty, sister of the late Kyle Lindsey, pose last September with

the new LifeCare Ambulance Suicide Prevention Buddy Bench. At right is

Catherine Brunner. (Shopper News photo file by Shelly Kehrle-Sulser)

volunteers,” she said, “and there’s

just a handful of us.”

Besides the annual Ride for

Awareness and Buddy Bench pro-

gram, in which benches were built

from scratch for schools, businesses

and other groups that wanted them,

the organization also tried to create

suicide prevention awareness at vari-

ous events such as Field of Flight Air

Show and Balloon Festival, parades

in Battle Creek and Marshall as well

as events at local businesses all over

Battle Creek.

In five years, they were able to

raise the $25,000 needed to start the

scholarship as well as give nearly

$10,000 to veterans organizations.

Wixson said it all got started in

2018 after Jon heard about a ride

for suicide awareness event in Port

Huron.

“It was a motorcycle/car ride,” said

Sharon Wixson. “It started at Eagles

who donated their venue for us and

we ‘d have breakfast and every-

thing was donated. We would have

a three to four stops throughout

the day and we always took off at

noon. We go around the county and

come back and have live music,

dinner and raffles.”

Wixson said anyone want-

ing to donate to the scholarship

fund can contact the Battle Creek

Community Foundation.

She said the organization leaves

with the same message.

“What I hope Suicide Prevention

and Awareness of Calhoun County

has accomplished and people

take away from our work,” she

said, “we’d like to think through

our actions and work in the com-

munity, when someone sees a

Buddy Bench out in our commu-

nity, we’d like them to think ‘be

a buddy not a bully!’ We’d like

them to know it’s okay to have a

bad day but know you’re never

alone! There’s always someone to

talk to! Awareness is at the Heart of

Prevention!!”

Celebration of Life

OPEN HOUSE for

George Howard

August 10, 2024

1-4pm

Woodland Church

14425 Helmer Rd. S.

Battle Creek, MI

49015

Please use North

Entrance

OPEN:

Friday 10am-5:30pm;

Sat. 10am-5pm;

Closed Sunday

14845 W. Michigan Ave., Marshall, MI 49068

Phone: 269-298-

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Phone: 269-298-

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Regular Hours:

Mon. - Fri. 10:00am-5:30pm;

Sat. 10:00am-5:00pm;

Closed Sunday

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