Talk to UP Home Health & Hospice about grief support and prepare for a weekend meeting with Marji Gesick

UMT talks about grief support.(Jake Strange)

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – September is Suicide Awareness Month, and as the winter months approach, more frequent and intense mourning becomes common.

Speak with a UP Home Health & Hospice representative about bereavement support programs for patients and their families, as well as options available to the community.

Then hop on your bike and hit the trails this weekend for the annual Marja Gesick Mountain Bike Race, presented by 906 Adventure Team.

Described as the toughest bike race in America, see what the riders and support crews can expect on the course.

But first, TV6 and FOX UP hosts MK DiVirgilio and Elizabeth Peterson from Upper Michigan Today will come together to talk about current events!

MK and Elizabeth talk about the events of the day.

MK and Elizabeth meet with UP Home Health & Hospice Communications Director Kori Bjorne and Volunteer and Bereavement Coordinator Leslie Parkkonen to talk about grief support.

We will all experience loss and the grief that comes with it sooner or later at some point in our lives.

Bjorne and Parkkonen talk about the support they provide to patients and their families, as well as to the local community in mourning.

UP Home Health & Hospice discusses bereavement support

Bjorne and Parkkonen will then talk about some upcoming grief support events that the community can benefit from.

There will be several bereavement support group meetings throughout the community, and anyone experiencing bereavement or loss is encouraged to attend.

Additionally, UP Home Health & Hospice provides information about volunteer training opportunities that are available to anyone who would like to get involved.

To sign up for volunteer training or for more information, call 906-428-4545.

Learn more about available volunteer opportunities.

Now we’ll change the subject and talk about Marja Gesick’s upcoming mountain bike race weekend.

Adventure Team 906 Director Todd Poquette joined Upper Michigan Today to talk about what riders can expect on the available 15-, 50-, 100-, and 200-mile routes.

Described as “the toughest race in America,” the Marji Gesick will test competitors’ physical and mental endurance, pushing them to the limits of their abilities.

Talk to Todd Poquette of 90 Adventure Team about Marja Gesick’s upcoming film.

Then Mandy Koskela from TV6 and FOX UP and Ben Alter, a competitor in the Marja Gesick 200, will join MK and Elizabeth in the studio to talk about their mountain biking experiences and share their plans for the upcoming race this weekend.

Talk to FOX UP’s Mandy Koskela and MG200 racer Ben Alter about their plans for the race.

Koskela and Alter show off their bikes, as well as some of the gear they’ll be taking with them to stay in the race.

Let’s take a look at the favorite food options that participants will consume to balance the calorie deficit that occurs during such a physically demanding race.

Mandy and Ben talk about the bikes they’ll be using and the gear they’ll be taking with them on the trails.

Finally, let’s discuss the challenges cyclists will face, including riding in the dark in the middle of the night.

Alter talks about his experiences with riding in the dark and the training program he implemented to prepare for the race.

MK and Elizabeth end up with Mandy and Ben.

For more information about Marja Gesick or the 906 Adventure Team, visit 906AT: More Than An Area Code, A Lifestyle (906adventureteam.com)

You can watch Upper Michigan Today weekdays at 9:00 a.m. on FOX UP or stream the show on your smart device.