Courtesy photo Members of American Legion Tony Revord Post 244 place crosses at Veterans Park in Powers to bring awareness to veterans who take their lives.

POWERS/SPALDING — A nonprofit is working with a local American Legion Post to bring veteran suicide awareness to the Upper Peninsula.

22aday.org, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is partnered with American Legion Tony Revord Post 244 to install a memorial display for veterans who took their own lives. It can be seen at the Veterans Park in Powers.

“For 30 days, we will be at the park at 6:30 p.m. Central Time each day to install an additional 22 crosses to give the public a visual idea of how significant the loss of veteran lives is due to suicide,” Post 244 said in a press release.

The 22 crosses are a reminder that every day, 22 veterans choose to end their lives – totaling 660 deaths each month.

Post 244 and Post Master Wendy Sexton started the project on Aug. 25 by placing the first 22 crosses.

Sexton said the post received a mailing from 22aday.org, asking if they would be interested in participating.

“I brought the information to our legion meeting, and as a group, we decided that this was a worthwhile project that we would like to participate in,” Sexton said.

It took some time to coordinate schedules between the two organizations, but the display was finally installed at the end of Aug.

“We met them Sunday morning on the 25th and they laid out the initial stringers so that we would have a guide on how to place the crosses and they showed us how to install them,” Sexton said.

Since then, each day, for 30 days, Legionnaires, Sons, and Auxiliary members go to Veterans Park at 6:30 Central Time to install an additional 22 crosses.

“It’s pretty impressive, especially when you go by it at night,” Sexton said.

She said that anywhere from 5 to 15 members of the Legion family go out each night, regardless of the weather, and add 22 more crosses.

Sexton added that she and the post were proud that the display made it to the Upper Peninsula, marking the first time it was erected in the U.P.

Those who lost a veteran in their life due to suicide are encouraged to come to the display and write their name on one of the crosses.

“It becomes a permanent part of that display that travels across the United States,” she said.

She also said that those who write on the crosses don’t have to worry about the names fading or being washed away by rain as members of Post 244 will rewrite it as best they can.

“If it looks like the writing is starting to fade, part of the products in the trailer are permanent markers. So we rewrite over the original writing as closely as we possibly can to make sure the information is not lost due to the outdoor elements,” Sexton said.

She encourages the public to visit 22aday.org and learn about the organization.

“They would like to be able to raise funds to do a second trailer, and they’re trying to expand this into other states,” she said.

Transporting the trailer around the states is a tall task done by volunteers in the organization.

“We’re talking (about) a couple of people who drive this trailer up on their own time, at their own expense, to help the organization get it set up, and then turn around and drive all the way home,” Sexton said.

22aday is a small organization, and they currently only have one display available that travels throughout the country to bring awareness to veterans who take their lives.

According to the 22-day schedule, the display first stopped in N.C. at the beginning of the year before heading to Florida. The trailer is now going through Michigan, with its latest and current stop in Powers.

To learn more about 22aday, visit 22aday.org.

“Since 9/11, more veterans have lost their lives to suicide than to combat. Post 244 wants to help change that. Citizens are encouraged to visit the park and learn more about this issue and what can be done to prevent it,” Post 244 said in a press release.

If you have questions, please get in touch with Wendy Sexton at 906-368-0647.