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In 2025, Jay Walkers took the first step to become a nationally recognized nonprofit. We believe suicide prevention requires year-round effort, not just one month of awareness. Jay Walkers’ mission is to mobilize ordinary people for suicide prevention. By improving our understanding of suicide and taking simple steps, each of us can prevent it in our circles, increasing safety for ourselves, family, and friends. Jay Walkers is a grassroots campaign focused on growing a commun

This summer, during our inaugural Jay Days campaign, we share Jay stories and also introduce you to some new Jay Walkers traditions -- things that I would say are "so Jay." This week, I had the privilege to travel to Arlington, VA, to meet a group of teachers from Taylor Elementary School. These teachers make up the Taylor Tigers, a mighty team in last year's Jay Walkers Challenge. On September 1, 2025, the Taylor Tigers accepted The Challenge to collectively complete 800,000

Jay Days is a new campaign initiative for Jay Walkers. Taking place in months that start with "J," Jay Days is an opportunity to remember Jay and find ways to come together as a community to take action for suicide prevention. This week marks our first full week of Jay Days. To celebrate, we are thrilled to announce registration for the 2026 Jay Walkers Challenge is now OPEN! Your action item for this week is to register for Jay Walkers using the link below. We encourage new

Jay Days is a new campaign initiative for Jay Walkers. Read on for more information about how the idea for this campaign got started and what it will look like going forward. Jay Days in 2012 Yesterday I shared with you the sweet story of Jay's childhood friend, Anna, and her "Jay Days" during freshman year of high school. (If you missed that post, you can catch up on that story here.) Anna's "Jay Days" story resonated with me deeply the moment I heard it, and it remains a so

Years ago, a former colleague shared a truly sweet story involving her daughter and Jay that continues to touch my heart, even today. My connection with this colleague spanned many years, beginning when Jay and her daughter, Anna, were first enrolled in preschool together. Jay and Anna essentially grew up side-by-side, sharing a parallel journey from their very first day of preschool through elementary, middle, and eventually high school. At the start of freshman year, my fri

The Fifth Annual Jay Walkers Challenge will be here before you know it! To have the strongest event yet, we need YOU to sign up as a Team Leader TODAY! What Is the Jay Walkers Challenge? The Jay Walkers Challenge is an annual team-based virtual steps challenge held every September to raise funds and awareness for suicide prevention. What Does a Team Leader Do? Sign up as a Jay Walkers Team Leader today and be the motivation your team needs to make an impact for suicide preve

Jay Walkers supports teacher training in the Pax Good Behavior Game® (GBG) because there is decades of research to show that students exposed to the GBG experience immediate, mid-range, and long-term benefits compared to those not exposed, including long-term protection against suicidal ideation and substance use disorder. How Do We Know? The GBG has been used by teachers as a classroom management tool for nearly 50 years. In that time, there have been more than 250 studies o

Applications for the Danny Craig Memorial Scholarship Fund are now being accepted! Jay Walkers is offering 5 Scholarships for Elementary School Teachers to be trained this summer in the Pax Good Behavior Game® (GBG). Eligibility Teachers must be certified elementary education and contracted to teach in the upcoming 2026-2027 school year. Elementary teachers from anywhere in the U.S. may apply. However, preference will be given to Virginia teachers. Eligible teachers must be a

What we didn't foresee when we had the bench dedicated was how many others would also come to cherish this spot. Whenever we visit Jay’s bench, we almost always find it occupied.

Mr. Craig was right! There is something that can be done in elementary schools that will reduce a student's risk for suicide as they grow.

I knew in my heart Mr. Craig was right. There must be something that can be done in elementary schools to equip kids with skills to support their mental AND physical fitness.

At Jay Walkers we are committed to using the proceeds from peer-to-peer fundraising to strengthen the societal suicide safety net by directly funding evidence-based suicide prevention measures. DID YOU KNOW??? Crisis Response Planning reduces suicidal behavior by 76%?* Clinicians trained in evidence-based suicide prevention interventions report greater confidence in the care they offer?** Proceeds from this year's Challenge will be used to offer grants for clinicians to becom

The Annual Jay Walkers Challenge is a 30-day team-based virtual steps challenge. Teams work together during September to complete 800,000 steps collectively to represent all lives lost each year worldwide to suicide. This year's Challenge involved more than just tracking steps; it was gamified to boost participant engagement and recognition. Jay Walkers were incentivized to excel and earn recognition through several activities, including peer-to-peer fundraising, recruiting,

On World Suicide Prevention Day, we can all do our part to prevent suicide! In the U.S., we lose approximately 50,000 individuals each...

This year's Jay Walkers Challenge includes additional activities participants can complete for points and recognition. Compete against...

A commitment to walk 800,000 steps in one month may seem overwhelming. But, with a team of 12, each person can average 2200 steps a day...

Five-day fundraising challenge: Kick off the week by requesting donations from friends, family, and coworkers to reach your goal by...

What made me ask for help is a feeling that finally outweighed all those others. Love.

Please...put suicide on your Worry List. Then do everything you can to ensure that it never touches your family.