Grand Canyon Hike for Suicide Prevention - 2021

In September of 2021, we (Doug Tanner and Seth Adam Smith) will hike across the Grand Canyon—TWICE—in order to raise money for suicide prevention and awareness. Our goal is to raise $12,000. This money will be given directly to a family in need—a family we know and love—who give it their all, day-in and day-out. 

The mother in this family has been struggling with suicide ideation and has chosen to seek professional help at Sierra Tucson , a residential treatment center. The $12,000 is the actual cost of her program. We are inspired by the faith and perseverance of her family and we wish them all the best. PLEASE NOTE: In order to protect the privacy of the family, this money will be held in Trust by Doug Tanner who, at the end of the fundraiser, will deliver the money directly to the family.

We'd also like to use this opportunity to raise money and awareness for suicide prevention, generally.

According to the most recent data from 2019, globally 800,000 people die from suicide per year. To put that into perspective: every 40 seconds someone in the world dies by suicide. And for every single suicide, there are another 25 people who attempt suicide.

But those aren't simply statistics—those are people. Those are mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, teachers, neighbors, and friends. Those are people like you and me. Those are people, who—if given the proper care—can move forward and have wonderful, fulfilling lives.

With that in mind, we've decided to hike across the Grand Canyon—TWICE.

WHAT?! ARE YOU CRAZY?!

Yup, we are! We will hike the infamous Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim hike (R2R2R). That is, we will hike from the south rim of the Grand Canyon (South Kaibab Trail) to the north rim of the Grand Canyon (North Kaibab Trail). We will then turn around and hike back across the canyon to the south rim (via Bright Angel Trail). It's a total of 41.2 miles and 20,000 feet of elevation loss and gain—all within 48 hours! It's a grueling hike, but one we're ready to do in order to raise money and awareness for suicide prevention.

WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?

DOUG - My name is Doug Tanner. As a teenager I struggled severely with depression and thoughts of suicide. Unlike today, help in the form of therapy and support groups were almost non-existent. I am living today as a result of people who reached out in love and compassion. I live my life in the repayment of that kindness and dedicate a good portion of my life to helping and serving other people who struggle.

SETH - My name is Seth Adam Smith. 15 years ago, I survived a suicide attempt and—with the help of friends, family, my faith, and life-changing principles—I've learned how to work with my depression, move forward, and live a challenging but wonderful life. In the years since my suicide attempt, I've done a lot of work in suicide prevention, including speaking, writing, interviews, a suicide prevention message with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and professional work with the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention (Utah chapter).

BUT WHY HIKE THE GRAND CANYON?

Because life—in so many ways—is like a walking through the wilderness of the world: it's challenging, painful, demanding, and difficult, but if you move forward with faith then—step by step—you WILL reach the summit of your obstacles. Once there, you'll stop, turn, and finally be able to see everything in its proper perspective. You'll see the beautiful panorama of your life and realize that it's worth every difficult step forward.

HOW WILL THE MONEY BE USED?

Our goal is to raise $12,000. That money will be given directly to a family in need—a family we know. Upon their receipt of the funds, we will post an update/letter from the family (anonymized, to maintain their privacy), an official letter from the program she's attended, and a personal video update from us. All of this will be done to demonstrate full transparency and accountability for how these sacred donations are used.

If we exceed our goal of $12,000, we will use that money to create content and resources for suicide prevention and awareness.

HOW CAN I SUPPORT YOU?

Please join us in our fight to prevent suicide by donating to this cause. Every donation helps! And please SHARE this link through emails, Twitter, and on your Facebook timeline. Thank you so much and keep moving forward!

**DISCLAIMER** This trail is demanding and oftentimes dangerous and we do NOT recommend it to inexperienced hikers. Between the two of us, Doug and I have hiked the Grand Canyon many, many times before and are very familiar with the trail and what will be required of us. We are keenly aware of our abilities and limitations and we will exercise all safety precautions and regulations set forth by the National Park Service.