BERLIN – Two women will hike the Appalachian Trail to raise funds for the Jesse Klump Suicide Awareness & Prevention Program.
Beginning Dec. 13, Snow Hill resident Jean Schrecengost and her friend Melissa Ordway will begin a 700-mile trek from New Hampshire to Western Pennsylvania in an effort to raise awareness on suicide risks and prevention.
In 2013, Schrecengost and Ordway completed a portion of the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain, Ga., to Pine Grove, Pa.
The next part of their journey will take them to New Hampshire, where they will begin the seven-week hike from the Rattle River Trailhead in White Mountain National Forest to Pine Grove.
Along the way, Schrecengost and Ordway will distribute suicide prevention material to those they meet and post their progress on a public Facebook page, “On the Trail to End Suicide.”
Schrecengost said it was on a canoeing trip a few weeks ago that she and Ordway decided to support the Jesse Klump Suicide Awareness and Prevention Program throughout their hiking trip. That day, their conversations with Ron Pilling, a Jesse Klump Memorial Fund board member, inspired them to pursue a fundraising and awareness campaign along the trail.
Schrecengost, who has volunteered at a prior “Jesse’s Paddle” boating event, said she was excited to help the organization once again.
“Mel had lost a boyfriend to suicide and I lost an uncle to suicide and we were all for doing it,” she said.
Since then, Schrecengost, Ordway and the organization have reached out to suicide prevention groups and hiking groups along the trail to spread awareness of their mission. The goal of the fundraiser is to raise $10,000 for suicide prevention education on the Eastern Shore.
“I would like to see more than that raised, but that is an achievable goal,” Schrecengost said.
Pilling explained that money raised from Schrecengost and Ordway’s hike will provide suicide prevention training.
“We take the message that suicide affects almost everyone in one way or another to schools, churches, community groups and health fairs – anywhere people gather who may have a friend or loved one at risk of suicide,” he wrote. “The funds raised by these two courageous women will provide ‘suicide prevention first aid’ training free of cost to more of our friends and neighbors.”
Kim Klump, president of the Jesse Klump Memorial Fund, shared her appreciation for Schrecengost and Ordway’s efforts.
“When Jean related the personal experience with suicide loss in the life of her hiking companion Melissa, I knew that we had found partners for our own outreach work,” she wrote. “Being outdoors, distant from the technology that so envelops young lives, reaching for a personal goal, is an important way to escape the stress in life that too often ends in depression and suicide. Jean and Melissa’s wintertime hike brings life to that fact.”
Schrecengost said she hopes their conversations with hikers along the trail will encourage others to talk about suicide prevention and take action.
“It’s such an intense and uncomfortable topic,” she said. “Bringing it up is probably more than what they are used to.”
Ordway was not available for comment this week, but in a joint statement Schrecengost and Ordway shared their desire to help those along the trail and on the Eastern Shore.
“We want to help others see the possibilities in life,” the statement reads. “We’re a couple of regular women seeking to fulfill our dreams, and along the way inspire others to do the same. If we can instill this in just one person suffering from depression and thinking about suicide, or if just one person we meet along the trail realizes that a friend or loved one is suicidal and steps in to keep that person safe, we will have accomplished our mission.”
Donations to support suicide prevention efforts can be made by visiting the “On the Trail to End Suicide” Facebook page or https://jessespaddle.donorpages.com/OntheTrailtoEndSuici.
