Dexter Resident Hosts Walk Honoring Brother Lost to Suicide

A Dexter woman is inviting community members to walk alongside her next month as she prepares for a 16-mile overnight event honoring her younger brother.

Julie Pierce, who moved to Dexter in 2019, will host a training walk April 18 beginning at Erratic Ale Co. in Dexter as she prepares for the Overnight Out of the Darkness Walk in Chicago, a sunset-to-sunrise event organized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The community walk will begin at 2 p.m. and follow the Border-to-Border Trail toward Hudson Mills before returning to the brewery. The paved, non-motorized pathway makes the route accessible for people who want to walk any portion of the distance. Pierce said the event is open to anyone who wants to join.

She said Brian and Deb Schroeder, owners of Erratic Ale Co., offered the brewery as a gathering place before and after the walk.

“This is the 20-year anniversary of my brother Don’s death, and I wanted to do something impactful in memory of him,” Pierce said.

Her younger brother, Donald Harris, died by suicide in 2006 at age 36.

Pierce said she first connected with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention through suicide loss support groups after her brother’s death. Over time, she began participating in local Out of the Darkness walks and later volunteered with the organization’s Healing Conversations program.

During those conversations, she meets one-on-one with people newly bereaved by suicide.

“I feel that I make a difference, that I show there is a path forward from this horribly devastating loss,” Pierce said.

Harris spent the last decade of his life in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where he enjoyed cycling, skiing and hiking.

“He is not defined by the end of his life, but by the adventurous, laughing, caring soul he was for 36 years,” Pierce said.

As she prepares for the overnight walk in Chicago, Pierce said the Dexter training walk is meant to help people connect while building the distance needed for the event.

She expects about 20 people to attend, including friends who have experienced suicide loss and others who simply want to show support.

“If someone joins my training walk who has been afraid to talk about their loss, and that person realizes there are others, that’s a win,” Pierce said.

The Overnight Out of the Darkness Walk brings together participants from across the country to walk more than 16 miles through the night, beginning at sunset and ending with a sunrise ceremony.

“Because he did not have the voice he needed to ask for help, I am that voice,” Pierce said.

Pierce said she also keeps her brother’s memory alive in small ways. On his birthday each year, she orders a pizza covered with black olives, his favorite topping.

Pierce is also raising funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as part of the event. Information about her journey can be found at https://tinyurl.com/mtcz7vmp

Anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts can call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, for free and confidential support.

Featured photo: Donald Harris during a trip in the western United States. Harris, who loved cycling, skiing and spending time outdoors, died by suicide in 2006. His sister, Julie Pierce of Dexter, is hosting a training walk April 18 in his memory. Photo courtesy of Julie Pierce