MPISD – News

Photo: members of the MPHS Law Enforcement and Future Educator programs at Strides for Blue 122

Contact: Kelly Cowan

MPHS students volunteer with Strides for Blue 122

Members of the Mount Pleasant High School Law Enforcement and Future Educator classes volunteered at the Strides for Blue 122 event on Monday, September 28. Strides for Blue 122 is a walking event where current and former members of the law enforcement community have pledged to walk 122 miles, starting in Mount Pleasant and ending in Dallas. It is part of the Code 9 Project whose mission is to educate, train, and advocate for preventing PTSD and suicide for First Responders, Veterans, and their families.

Law Enforcement and Education students assisted in greeting the participants, passing out water and snacks, and clean up. The classes donated over 35 cases of water for the event. They dedicated one leg of the walk to the sister of MPHS Education instructor, Aimee Sweeden.

“Because my sister, Alyssa Anne Dollgener, was just a statistic before Strides for Blue 122, I wanted to be a part of the walk,” said Sweeden. “They acknowledged her, her service, and the loss that I have experienced. The reality of suicide is often hushed and shamed, but this organization has made great strides in changing the stigma of families impacted by a loved one’s ultimate choice.” 

Sweeden continued, “I believe it is important to share her story, which is so delicately intertwined in mine with young people and involve them in the process of healing. When students understand that they have a voice and their impact is great, then they act. Actions change the narrative that increases awareness of friends and classmates who struggle with depression. It opened up a dialogue about a once-taboo topic.”