The Hunter Whitley Butterfly Initiative, a local veteran suicide prevention nonprofit, will host a suicide awareness roundtable Thursday at 6 p.m. at Izzy’s Coffee and Collectibles in Northport.
The initiative is named after UA student veteran Hunter Whitley, who served in the Marines for four years before dying by suicide in November 2022. In December 2023, his family created the organization to educate and spread awareness about suicide prevention and mental health.
“I think a lot of times, men and women don’t understand what they’re going through,” said Trey Walker, Whitley’s uncle who is president of the Butterfly Initiative. He said that events like the roundtable educate community members on warning signs of suicide and how to address them, and that they show veterans they’re not alone.
The Thursday roundtable will be the third the organization has held since its founding. Its theme will be substance abuse, and guest speakers will share personal experiences with substance abuse and how to seek help. One speaker, Lonnie Layton, is a peer support specialist with a new suicide prevention initiative in Alabama called SAFER Together. There will also be an open discussion for around 30 minutes, Walker said.
Food will be provided by Decades Pub and Grub for attendees, and the event will be viewable on Facebook Live and Zoom. The event is open to everyone.
In addition to the roundtable, the organization will host its largest event, the Chasing Freedom 5K, in Northport Nov. 1.
Walker said that though Whitley’s death impacted many people, there was a positive side in the aftermath, as it motivated people to make a change.
“That’s what we got to stand strong on,” Walker said of the desire for change. “It’s tough, but we got to stand strong on that.”
If you are in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 to speak with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you are a veteran in crisis, dial 988 and press 1 or text 838255 to speak with the Veterans Crisis Line.
