The second annual Be the One walk to bring awareness to and end veteran suicide deaths will return to DeKalb on Sept. 21 and the public is invited.

The event will feature speakers, vendors to share mental wellness and crisis care resources, and other activities before the walk. Participants can walk 2.2 miles, meant to bring light to the fact that 22 veterans or service members die by suicide daily, according to the Legion.

People can register in advance at www.runsignup.com/Race/IL/Dekalb/BeTheOneWalk or day-of.

Organizers also have the city of DeKalb’s backing this year – at Monday’s City Council meeting, Mayor Cohen Barnes proclaimed Sept. 21 Be the One Day in DeKalb.

“I can only think of saying a round of applause is I think appropriate. What I would dedicate the applause to is the amount of people...that really have leaned in on this issue to try and reduce that number of 18 to 22, hopefully down to zero some day,” Barnes, a U.S. Army veteran himself, said.

Registration opens at 9 a.m. and the event runs 10 a.m. through noon at Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Health and Wellness Center, 626 Bethany Road, DeKalb. Walk participants also will receive a free 1-day pass to the wellness center.

The event is hosted by the American Legion Post No. 66, though a number of veteran and service organizations including AmVets and VFW posts countywide have agreed to partner.

Organizer Cindy Hupke said this year more than 100 have already registered, but she’s hoping for more.

It’s an important cause and she said she’s thankful so many community groups want to be involved.

“The reason the numbers count is...because if somebody’s driving on Bethany Road and they see this huge mass of people walking with flags, they go, ‘What is that?’” Hupke said. “That walk will raise awareness, it will also open up the opportunity for some veterans who are struggling to understand the resources that are available. It might help somebody.”

After last year’s walk, three veterans came to Cindy separately seeking help.

Funds raised during the Be the One event will go to education and training, Hupke said.

“Many of our community members are family members of veterans or active duty,” she said. “So they need to look for how to respond and know what resources are available.”

In her advocacy work, she said she’s found that veterans often feel most comfortable talking to other veterans. Being vulnerable is hard enough. For service members, asking for help can often come with an added stigma that can often prevent those in need of seeking help when they need it most, she said.

The walk is on asphalt pathways and sidewalks. There’s also a 1-mile circuit as an option for those who can’t or don’t wish to walk the full amount.

For those who prefer not to walk, other activities are offered. Activities include Tai Chi, chair yoga, Labyrinth meditation and other vendors to provide and connect participants to resources and community support in the area.

Refreshments including coffee will be provided.

To mark the event, 22 rocks will be carried in memory of a veteran or soldier who has died by suicide. For those who would like to dedicate a rock to a lost loved one, visit www.runsignup.com/Race/BeTheOneWalk/Page-4.