HAYDEN - The fifth annual Suicide Prevention Action Network Memorial Walk on Saturday, Oct. 13, will raise funds toward promoting life by helping to prevent suicide.

"The walk is a wonderful way to memorialize a lost loved one. It also helps increase awareness of what a severe problem suicide is in northern Idaho," says Catherine Perusse, a mental health therapist in Sandpoint and the SPAN North chairman. "It brings a sense of community and support to those who have lost someone to suicide."

The walk will start at 10 a.m. at O'Shay's Restaurant, 313 E. Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive. Registration and check-in are at 9 a.m. Registration and participation in the 3.8-mile walk on the Centennial Trail is free. People who donate at least $10 with their registration will receive a SPAN North Save the One T-shirt and a bag with goodies.

To register online, visit www.SPANIdaho.org.

Funds raised from previous memorial walks helped SPAN North bring a renowned suicide prevention expert to North Idaho earlier this year to train mental health professionals. The training followed a suicide prevention training program for 3,200 high school students and 1,200 staff in the Coeur d'Alene School District.

The state's highest suicide rate is in the five northern counties, where 53 suicides in 2010 equaled 25 deaths per 100,000 residents. According to data collected by the American Association of Suicidology, Idaho's suicide rate in 2009 was fourth highest in the nation, with 19.7 suicides per 100,000 residents.

The national average is 12 suicides per 100,000 people.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Idahoans between the ages of 15 and 24.

Funds raised from the fifth annual SPAN North Memorial Walk on Oct. 13 will go toward educational materials and a second training for mental health professionals. For information on the Memorial Walk, contact Catherine Perusse at (208) 290-6161 or email to spannorth@gmail.com.