TAMPA, Fla. — Stop Soldier Suicide is urging Tampa Bay veterans and their families to prepare for the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, saying images and memories from that day can be triggering for those who served in the years that followed.

The national nonprofit is highlighting its resources in Florida, where suicide death rates for veterans are 2.5 times higher than the general population, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Craig Ridenhour, chairman of the executive leadership team for Stop Soldier Suicide in the Tampa Bay area, said his work with the organization began after he looked for a way to use swimming to raise money and awareness.

“I had wanted to find maybe a charity organization that I could do some laps for, raise some funds, raise some awareness, and an algorithm within Facebook just drove me to a challenge swim that Stop Soldier Suicide had,” Ridenhour said.

Ridenhour, a former collegiate swimmer at the University of Florida, has participated in several charity events since 2022. He now volunteers with Stop Soldier Suicide in Tampa Bay.

Ridenhour said the remembrance of Sept. 11 brings many people back to where they were when the attacks happened.

“I was on the phone with a gentleman. There was confusion on what happened prior. That was when the first plane had hit,” he said.

Hayley Emerson, national fundraising and events manager for Stop Soldier Suicide, said veterans and families should prepare for potentially triggering images and conversations ahead of the anniversary.

“I think the first thing is just going into it prepared, knowing that you’re going to see some triggering imagery, knowing that you’re going to be triggered a little bit. And that may look different for everybody,” Emerson said.

Stop Soldier Suicide offers licensed clinicians in every state for military members and veterans. The organization also provides reading materials that can be used by military families and the broader community.

“It doesn’t have to be specific to those that are military or first responders. It can be for the broader community,” Emerson said. “Suicide and mental health are topics that are becoming more acceptable but have previously been stigmatized, so those resources really help to open the conversation.”

Ridenhour said those conversations are personal to him after losing his sister to suicide in 1999.

“For me, it’s important to have others recognize that, yeah, maybe they’re not a military. Maybe or not this, maybe they’re not that. But at the end of the day, there are resources out there and it’s OK to go talk about it,” he said.

September is also Suicide Prevention Month. Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis can dial 988 for immediate help.