Packwood Resident Debbie Reisert to Be Honored for Efforts Fighting Suicide in East Lewis County

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The suicide prevention organization Forefront will honor Packwood community organizer Debbie Reisert with the Tina Orwall Public Service Award at its fourth annual suicide awareness dinner on Wednesday in the University of Washington’s HUB Grand Ballroom. 

The award recognizes Reisert’s role in rallying her community to suicide prevention action in Lewis County, according to a release from Forefront. 

The Tina Orwall award honors the role that public service plays in suicide prevention, the release said. 

Reisert lost her grandson to suicide in 2009 and has been working in the community to find solutions. Recently, she worked with Forefront in Packwood to organize a Labor Day suicide prevention effort to raffle a gun safe and spur dialogues with the community, the release said. 

Reisert also was instrumental in efforts to get the White Pass School District to schedule training by Forefront in December, which includes developing a crisis response plan for the district and schools, as well as conducting safeTALK training. 

The award ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m. with a dinner, drinks and live music from Flamenco guitarist Ethan Deutsch, and Issaquah High School student Sam Foster, rapper One2 and drummer Jawann Blanchey performing together. 

Other award recipients for various awards include Micia Vergara, Kate Comtois, Frank Chopp and KIRO 7, the press release said. 

Forefront is a social impact organization housed in the UW School of Social Work since 2013. It has helped pass six pieces of legislation aimed at preventing suicide. For more information, visit www.intheforefront.org.