From left, Kristie Knights of iR;se Leadership Institute and Marta Barger, mother of Tyler Barger, examine the quilt with patches in honor of lost loved ones with Ron Flick of CORE (Center for Organ Recovery and Education) on Saturday at Karns City Athletic Field. The Barger family organizes the Warr;or Walk for Hope to support families with loved ones who died by suicide and educate the public on suicide prevention.

KARNS CITY — The Barger family lost their son, brother, nephew and cousin to suicide on March 25, 2018; Tyler Barger was only 27.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 47,500 Americans died from suicide in 2019, the agency reported.

In dealing with their grief, Tyler's family chose to take action to support those in distress and educate families through the Warrior Walk for Hope.

The third annual event took place Saturday at the Karns City Athletic Field attended by a crowd of community members, family and friends. In addition to a walk for hope, funds were raised for suicide prevention.

Tyler was a 2009 graduate from Karns City High School.

“He was intelligent, funny and always smiling,” said his mother, Marta Barger.

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