From Loss to Light: Raising Suicide Awareness with Grace’s Gang
September 8, 2025September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month — a time to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and remind ourselves and each other that mental health matters every day of the year.
At Red Bank Veterinary Hospital, our once veterinary technician and now marketing manager, Liz Hillard and her daughter, Grace, turned personal loss into a movement of hope. After losing Grace’s dad, Glenn, to suicide in 2017, the pair joined the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Walk. What began as two people walking hand–in–hand has since grown into Grace’s Gang — a team of colleagues, friends, family, and even pets, who walk together each year to raise funds and awareness. Since its founding, Grace’s Gang has raised more than $110,000 for suicide prevention — but the impact goes far beyond fundraising. It’s a testament to the strength of community, the healing power of connection, and the reminder that none of us has to walk alone.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Visit afsp.org or nomv.org for resources and support.