Suicide Awareness Bus Visits Grass Valley
Cory Richez and Kelly Logan stand in front of their Suicide Awareness Bus
Toward the rear of the parking lot near CVS in Grass Valley is a Suicide Awareness Bus, created by Cory Richez and Kelly Logan. The bus has been touring for about four months, a second iteration after their first bus was burned on US 101 last year.
The vehicle is an old bus that has been painted with colorful words on top of a solid brown base. On the side of the bus reads, “Suicide Awareness Bus and Spirit House,” while the phrase “mental health matters” spans an upper edge. Along the sides of the bus are handwritten messages and names in various colors. The bus also bears the phrase “phoenix rising from the ashes.”
Memorial Wall / Memorial Ship
The pair call their bus a “memorial wall” because they provide the sides of the bus as a place for anyone to add to the design in memory of a loved one who committed suicide. Visitors to the bus bring them locks of hair and ashes of family members, which they attach to the exterior of the bus or in the windows as part of the display. The bus is covered in objects and memorabilia of loved ones. They provide paint pens to visitors who want to write a message or the name of a loved one who passed away because of suicide.
In addition to calling the bus a “memorial wall,” Cory and Kelly also call this new bus a “memorial ship” because of its nautical theme. Attached to the front of the bus is a ship’s wheel, and on top of the bus is an actual boat, painted to match the bus, on which is perched a fake crow. The windows along the sides are painted to give the appearance of port holes (although only a half-circle when the windows are open to let the summer breeze in). A large skull shape is affixed to the front of the bus above the windshield.
On one Instagram post, the owners write, “We are passionate pirates of mental health sailing the paved seas of America,” adding that they carry loved ones’ photographs, ashes, and memories. “This mobile Spirit house is for everybody,” with an approach that is different for everyone “because it is based on “the individual who approaches.”
How It Started
Kelly, originally from North Carolina, was a military wife for a decade and spent much of her time volunteering in the military community. She had experienced suicide on both sides of her family and had developed an interest in spreading awareness. Cory claims Pie Town, New Mexico, as his hometown, which is considered an official “ghost town” by the state and hosts an annual pie festival. Kelly and Cory explain that they’re from different backgrounds and have different religious beliefs, and that is what helps them relate to a lot of the people they meet in their travels.
Previously homeless, Cory and Kelly then found some day labor to make money. Eventually, they collaborated on the ideas of the Suicide Awareness Bus. In addition to their awareness work, they collect whatever donations the community might have to give back to those in need. “We give baby wipes in the summer,” among other things, Cory explained, and “socks, beanies, and hoodies in the winter.”
How Do They Help Awareness?
Near the parked bus in Grass Valley, the pair had a small table that provides several pamphlets, such as “Preventing Suicide in Military Families,” and “Support for Survivors of Suicide Loss.” Most of the pamphlets on display were published by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, whose logo is a life preserver/ring buoy, also ship-themed. Next to the pamphlets was a stack of stickers promoting the Veterans Crisis Line. Another pamphlet available on the table was published by “R U OK?”, an Australian organization that believes in the power of conversation to change lives.
Where They’re Headed Next
Grass Valley, California, is just one stop on their tour around the United States. They’ve been to nine states and counting with this “memorial ship.” In the previous bus, they visited 32 states and logged 48,000 miles. Their previous stop last week was in Arcata, California, about 300 miles northwest of Grass Valley/Nevada City. Before that stop, they were in Grants Pass, Oregon as well as Chester, California. After visiting Nevada County, they are heading to Susanville for a candlelight vigil on September 9, 2023, and then plan to drive to New Mexico by the end of September.
