Jay Days (Part II)

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 source of profound warmth today. It's a reminder that Jay had a unique way of being a light, not just in our own family, but in the lives of friends like Anna who truly cherished spending time with him.

Mission Drift

Jay Walkers was officially founded in June 2025. Even in this short span of just one year, I have occasionally noticed mission drift. Specifically, I have found myself so deep in the work and messaging of suicide prevention that I have forgotten MY reason for doing this work: Jay. Specifically, I have at times lost site of the parts of Jay that I love so much and miss mightily -- the parts of Jay that I hope will never be forgotten. Hence, the idea of Jay Days as a standing campaign at Jay Walkers!

Jay Days in 2026

Most of our current Jay Walkers participants knew Jay, but many of you did not. The Jay Days campaigns will provide an opportunity to introduce Jay to our growing Jay Walkers community. Jay Days will also help us center the work of Jay Walkers around Jay, the very special person who inspired this mission. And it will help us to never forget our "why" as we move forward -- to achieve impact in Jay's memory.

The Jay Days Campaigns

Jay Days campaigns will take place in months that begin with the letter "J" -- January, June, and July.

This summer, during this year's inaugural Jay Days campaign, we will share Jay stories with you and also encourage you to take action for suicide prevention in memory of Jay and others like him whose lives were lost too soon to suicide. We will also enlist your help in implementing some very personal touches to our work -- things that I would say are so Jay.

So stay tuned as we share details over the next days and weeks. And please be sure to follow us here and on socials to stay up-to-date on all Jay Days posts!