About Us

End the Silence Walk, a Suicide Awareness and Prevention Walk is in memory of the lives of Bobby and Josh Bintner. They were brothers that both completed suicide, 13 years apart. Bobby was 13 years old and Josh was 17 years old, both battled secretly with depression and felt they had no other option but to end their lives.

The Bintner family was devastated by these events and felt the need to make an impact on the Delta County community with their story.The Bintner family and friends partnered with the Delta County Suicide Prevention Task Force in 2009 to create this event to raise awareness in the Delta County community about depression and suicide.

The Delta County Suicide Prevention Task Force formed in 2006 in response to a plan on the state level to address the social problem of suicide and initiate prevention activities. The Task Force consists of local mental health professionals, survivors of suicide, educators and community members.

Funds raised from the End the Silence Walk have been used for the following activities that the Task Force has been involved with:

· Depression Awareness and Suicide Prevention Summit in April 2010 at Bay College in Escanaba. Over 100 people attended the Summit to learn about this preventable public social health problem – suicide

· Depression awareness billboard that was located on North Lincoln Road

· Depression awareness posters targeted teens in the local schools

· Resource directory flyers for high school students

· Cosponsored a federal grant workshop to educate entities on funding opportunities

· Players de Noc production of “Night Mother”, a play that dealt with suicide

· A booth at the U.P. State Fair to distribute free materials to the public on a variety of depression related topics and suicide prevention

· Suicide prevention presentations at various schools and community organizations

· Advertising on placemats at local restaurants

Suicide is a serious public health problem that devastates individuals, families, and communities. It is the 11^th leading cause of death among Americans and the third leading cause of death among people ages 10-24, but anyone can complete suicide. Completed suicides are only part of the problem. More people are hospitalized or treated and released as a result of suicide attempts than are fatally injured. Suicide is often viewed as a response to a single stressful event; however, it is a far more complicated issue. Suicide results from complex interactions between biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors.

The typical time of onset of depression is adolescence, although people of all ages are susceptible, including the elderly and children. According to the Association of Suicidology, “although rates vary somewhat by geographical location, within a typical high school classroom, it is likely that three students (one boy and two girls) have made a suicide attempt in the past year.”

About 15 percent of people older than 65 years old experience depression often related to medical issues or certain medications. According to experts, depression not only makes people feel hopeless; it makes them physically more ill and increases their likelihood of death. Perhaps only 10 percent of senior citizens with depression seek and receive treatment.