Ethan's Purpose holds its seventh annual suicide awareness 5K Run/Walk at North Pointe Elementary in Hebron on Sept. 12.
Activities open at 8 a.m. The 5K starts at 9 a.m., with an awards ceremony after the race. Registration is available at ethanspurpose.org.
Richard and Debbie Zegarra started the organization in 2018 after their 16-year-old son, Ethan, took his own life. Debbie Zegarra, the group's executive director, leads its suicide prevention education programs in Boone County schools and community groups.
She spoke to the Boone County Schools Superintendent's Student Advisory Council in December 2025 and delivered a speech at Cooper High School's National Honor Society induction in November 2025.
This year's theme is "Let the Light In." Remembrance Signs honoring people lost to suicide will line the race course. More than 10 community partner tables will connect participants with local mental health and wellness organizations.
"It is vital that we continue raising awareness and reminding every person we encounter that they are seen, they are heard, and they truly matter," Zegarra said in a press release.
The event comes amid rising suicide totals in Boone County. The Boone County Coroner's Office recorded 24 deaths by suicide in 2024, the highest annual total in its data spanning 2020 through 2025, and 23 deaths in 2025.
Community agencies formed a Boone County Suicide Response Team after five juvenile deaths in the county since November 2024, according to a county report. Four of those were deaths by suicide; one cause of death was undetermined.
Beyond the race, Saturday's event includes a fun run for children, face painting, a selfie booth, a Mindfulness Station, a balloon artist, food, drinks and music.
Upcoming community events
- Saturday, Sept. 12 — Ethan's Purpose 7th Annual 5K Run/Walk, North Pointe Elementary, Hebron. Activities at 8 a.m., race at 9 a.m. ethanspurpose.org
- Tuesday, Sept. 15 — Voter registration at Boone County libraries
- Saturday, Sept. 26 — Pickles and Wieners Feast, Florence
If you are having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
