If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or feelings, please call 1-800-273-8255
LUBBOCK, Texas — With every crunch of gravel under Tony Mikel Samarripa’s shoes, he’s thinking of someone who lost their life to suicide or addiction. Samarripa is a suicide attempt survivor himself and five years later, wants to do everything he can to help others.
Samarripa has trained for five years for his first marathon, which will be in Oklahoma City on April 28. While he’s running six to eight miles a day, he’s raising money for the non-profit To Write Love On Her Arms , which helps people struggling with depression, addiction, suicide and self-injury.
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Samarripa feels passionate about the non-profit because it’s the crisis line he reached out to when he was at his lowest point.
“I would not be here today training for a marathon if I had not gotten the help that I needed,” Samarripa said.
So far, Samarripa has raised $1,400, but his goal is to raise $2,600. He is raising money through a GoFundMe page. All the while, Samarripa is running with a message consisting of three words: “Be alive tomorrow.”