SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – September is Suicide Prevention Month, and for the first time Tinner’s Public House in Sioux Falls is hosting an event to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

On Sunday, their parking lot will host a party for a good cause at Tinner’s Public House in southern Sioux Falls.

“Doing it in regards for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention,” Vinny Olson, Tinner’s general manager, said. “This is an alternative date for the Walk that’s usually done downtown and we’re just throwing a little party here in the parking lot. We’ve got a couple bands coming, it’s all ages, there’s no cover charge, free event and we’re hoping it’s going to be a huge success.”

Tinner’s owner Nicole Muilenburg started volunteering with AFSP in 2020 after losing two team members and friends to suicide.

“Getting a phone call not once, but twice that we had lost a team member during that time was just like, okay, well that is my calling. I want to figure out how we can celebrate how they lived and who they were. And continue that for their families and for our staff,” Muilenburg said.

Tinner’s has been a part of the annual AFSP Out of the Darkness Walk in past years, but this year they wanted to do more.

“They do such a tremendous job, it’s an organization that was founded back in the late 80s. If people don’t know how to get ahold of those resources and how to get involved in some of the programs that they have available then I don’t think that we’ve done our job. So it’s not just about raising money for me. I really want people to know what we have available,” Muilenburg said.

“A lot of people have lost people. We have people that have worked for us in our company and our ownership group has a deep connection with this and a lot of friends and family. So, I mean, it affects everybody,” Olson said.

The event on Sunday starts at 3 p.m. with live music until 8. The annual Out of the Darkness Walk is September 23rd.

Suicide prevention resources