This Suicide Prevention Month, United Health Services is inviting the community to turn awareness into action by joining the 2026 Race to Save Lives – Walk for Hope on Saturday, Oct. 17, at Howard Park in South Bend.
September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness, encourage open conversations about mental health and remind people help and hope are available.
One of the most visible ways our community can take part in that mission is the annual Race to Save Lives – Walk for Hope.
At United Health Services, those efforts continue throughout the year through the work of our Suicide Prevention Center. Our mission is to prevent suicide through education, training and community-wide awareness while providing compassionate support and resources for people affected by suicide loss.
Registration is now open for the 2026 event, and we invite individuals, families, friends, businesses and community organizations throughout Michiana to join us Saturday, Oct. 17, at Howard Park in South Bend.
Walking Together for Suicide Prevention
Conversations about suicide can be difficult, but silence can make it even harder for people who are struggling to reach out or for families affected by suicide to find support.
The Race to Save Lives – Walk for Hope creates an opportunity to have those conversations openly and compassionately.
Presented by and benefiting the Suicide Prevention Center at United Health Services, the annual event brings the community together to remember loved ones who have died by suicide, support those who have been affected by suicide and raise awareness of the resources available throughout our community.
It is also an important fundraiser for the Suicide Prevention Center and the programs that carry its mission into schools, workplaces, organizations and families throughout the area.
What Your Support Makes Possible
For United Health Services, suicide prevention is not limited to one event or one month.
The Suicide Prevention Center works throughout the year to build awareness, provide education and equip people with information that can help save lives. The Center also supports individuals and families who have experienced the loss of a loved one to suicide.
In 2025 alone, the Center reached more than 1,800 local students at 11 schools through the Yellow Ribbon Teen Suicide Prevention Program, helping young people learn about suicide prevention and the importance of seeking help when they or someone they know is struggling.
UHS also offers suicide prevention training opportunities and survivor support services, including the After Suicide Support Group for people coping with the loss of a loved one.
Those programs reflect an important part of suicide prevention: creating communities where people know how to recognize when someone may need help, know where to turn for support and feel comfortable starting conversations that too often go unspoken.
The Race to Save Lives – Walk for Hope helps make that work possible while bringing the mission into the heart of the community.
Race to Save Lives – Walk for Hope 2026 Event Details
This year’s event will take place:
Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026
Howard Park
219 S. St. Louis Blvd.
South Bend, IN 46617
Check-in begins: 9:30 a.m.
Walk begins: 10 a.m.
The Race to Save Lives – Walk for Hope is a walk-only, family-friendly event around Howard Park. You do not have to be a runner or an athlete to participate. The morning is designed simply to bring people together around a shared purpose.
General registration is $30, with additional registration options available for participants who would like an event T-shirt, a personalized memorial sign or both.
Online registrations end Oct. 17 at 11:59 p.m. However, if you wish to purchase a t-shirt, please register by Sept 18 for a guaranteed t-shirt that you can pick up at the event.
Take a look at last year’s recap from WNDU 16 below.
Walk in Memory of Someone You Love
For many participants, the Race to Save Lives – Walk for Hope is deeply personal.
The event provides an opportunity for families and friends to walk in memory of loved ones who have died by suicide. Personalized memorial signs are available as part of select registration packages. Participants can submit a photograph of their loved one, which will be incorporated into a memorial sign displayed in their honor.
These remembrances help put names, faces and stories behind the larger conversation about suicide prevention.
They also remind participants why this work matters.
Every person represented is part of a family, a circle of friends and a community. Coming together provides space to remember those lives while reinforcing our commitment to preventing future losses.
Participants interested in purchasing a memorial sign should register for that option by Oct. 1.
Thank You to Our Community Partners
The Race to Save Lives – Walk for Hope is strengthened by the businesses, organizations, volunteers and individuals who support the Suicide Prevention Center and believe in the importance of this work.
Their support helps UHS continue providing suicide prevention education, awareness programs and resources throughout our community. We are grateful to each organization and individual who helps make the event and the work behind it possible.
Need Help Now?
If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Free, confidential support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.