Two Harbors suicide awareness walk offers support, remembrance at Sonju Arena
Sonju Arena’s walk paired remembrance with support, putting 988, mental health help and local veterans resources in front of Two Harbors families.
At Sonju Arena, Love Life turned the Suicide Awareness Walk into more than a memorial. Families moved between an outdoor walking route and an indoor option, while a memory wall covered with photographs, refreshments and children’s activities gave the morning a calm, accessible setting for people of all ages.
Julie Racchi opened the gathering by speaking directly to attendees who might be feeling vulnerable, and she noted that mental health professionals were there for anyone who needed support. Her words carried the weight of personal loss. Her son, Jacob Matthew Racchi, died by suicide on Aug. 26, 2019. He was born in Duluth on June 7, 2000, and grew up in Two Harbors with his mother, Julie, and sisters Olivia and Ellie. His obituary remembered him for writing stories, making movies and creating art.
The event was emotional, but it was also unexpectedly uplifting. The reading of names brought tears, yet the room also held laughter, conversation and a sense of camaraderie that kept grief from becoming isolating. That balance has helped make the walk a fixture in Two Harbors. Love Life’s first annual walk drew about 100 people despite rainy weather, and the second annual walk was promoted for May 17, 2025, at Sonju Arena, 301 8th Avenue, from 9 to 11 a.m. A 2026 listing later placed the walk at Lake County Arena, also known as Sonju Arena, on May 16, 2026, from 9 to 11 a.m.
Love Life has also relied on community fundraising to keep the effort going. A baked potato bar and raffle brought in about $1,800, money organizers said would help cover administrative costs and support families who have lost loved ones to suicide. The fundraising piece matters in Lake County, where access to grief support and prevention resources can depend on community volunteers, public health staff and local service agencies working together.
The need for that support remains urgent. Minnesota health officials reported 813 estimated suicide deaths in 2024, with an age-adjusted rate of 13.9 per 100,000 people. They also said suicide rates in entirely rural counties were twice those in the Twin Cities metro counties. Minnesota’s 988 system connects callers to local centers and includes specialty options for veterans, Spanish speakers and people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Earlier local coverage showed Lake County Veterans Services, the county public health nurse and VA suicide-prevention staff taking part as the walk grew into a place where memory, education and practical help met in one room. In a county where rural isolation can deepen a crisis, that kind of local gathering has become part remembrance, part prevention and part lifeline.
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