According to the National Institute of Mental Health's website, suicide was the 11th-leading cause of death in the United States in 2021. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported nearly 50,000 victims, and it determined suicide to be the second-leading cause of death among Americans from ages 10 to 14 and 25 to 34. Like many discussions related to mental health, the discourse surrounding suicide is often complicated by stigmas. Many nonprofit organizations and individuals, including Bill and Julia Trout of New Providence, seek to raise awareness of suicide and its causes by spreading a message of hope.

In June 2021, Bill and Julia held a motorcycle ride in memory of their late son, Daulton, an avid motorcyclist who lost his life to suicide earlier that year. The first ride was held during the weekend of what would have been Daulton's 23rd birthday, and the event grew to become an annual tradition in the Southern End.

The fourth annual Daulton Trout Memorial Ride for Suicide Awareness and Prevention will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 8. The ride will begin at the Hoffman Building in Memorial Park, 172 S. Lime St., Quarryville, and registration will be available from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., with kickstands up at 10:30 a.m. Attendees who do not wish to ride are invited to a silent auction and lunch in the Hoffman Building after the ride concludes at 12:30 p.m.

Initially, the participants in the ride followed a course that followed Route 272 from Buck to Willow Street before concluding at the Solanco Fairgrounds. While the ride was scenic, Bill and Julia wanted to make it more visible to the community; in 2023, they expanded the route to incorporate other parts of the Southern End, including Lampeter, Strasburg, Georgetown, downtown Quarryville and New Providence.

For the first two years, Bill and Julia used the proceeds of the memorial ride to endow the Daulton Trout Scholarship fund at Solanco High School. After sustaining the scholarship, the Trout family decided to use the money raised by the ride to support local organizations such as Building Bridges Foundation at Anderson Farm in Conestoga and Mental Health America of Lancaster County. This year, the proceeds will also benefit Commonwealth Emergency Crisis Response.

Bill and Julia said this is the last year they plan to have the ride due to the effort required to organize it and the painful memories it brings up. Since 2021, the couple has raised more than $45,000 for local nonprofits through the annual ride.

"If you cross paths with us or see us riding, please take a moment to think of the families who have suffered the tragedy of suicide," Julia said. "It might take five minutes to wait for us to pass, but you can use that time to be grateful for your family."