CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman Hope & Remembrance Suicide Awareness Walk will bring community members together Sunday, Sept. 27, to honor lives lost to suicide, support those affected and raise awareness of suicide prevention and mental health.
Registration will open at 1 p.m., and the walk will begin at 2 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Pavilion at Sportsman Lake Park, located at 1544 Sportsman Lake Road in Cullman. The event is scheduled to continue until 4 p.m.
General admission is free, but participants are encouraged to register in advance through The SAM Foundation’s event page.
The afternoon will also include food trucks, community vendors, raffle prizes and other activities.
Shelly Sartain founded the Hope & Remembrance Suicide Awareness Walk in 2021 following the death of her nephew, Blaine Smith, on Jan. 4, 2020. Smith was a 2018 graduate of Fort Payne High School.
According to the event page, Sartain made a promise to honor her nephew’s memory by raising awareness of suicide prevention and working to change the way people view mental health.
That mission became even more personal after Sartain’s son, Jason Barber, died by suicide on Feb. 24, 2024. Sartain said the memories of Blaine and Jason continue to motivate her efforts to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, encourage kindness and remind people that others may be facing struggles that are not immediately visible.
The walk is associated with The SAM Foundation, an Alabama-based nonprofit organization that works to prevent suicide through public awareness and education.
The foundation provides suicide prevention resources and evidence-based training designed to equip community members to recognize and respond to someone experiencing a suicidal crisis.
Participating event vendors listed on the registration page include American Family Care, Aniah’s Food Truck, Bama Boy Boils, Bless Your Lemons, Bright Promotions, Da Big Italian LLC, Heads Up Prevention/WellStone, Micah Dodd Music, Sweet Foam Alabama and The County Press Custom Apparel & More.
The foundation is also accepting donations through the event page toward a $10,000 fundraising goal. As of Sept. 8, the campaign had raised $4,370.
For more information or to reserve free admission, visit https://samfound.networkforgood.com/events/98059-cullman-walk-2026.
Anyone experiencing emotional distress or a mental health or suicide-related crisis can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Free, confidential support is available around the clock. Online chat is available at www.988lifeline.org.
