Daily Press File Photo The late Christian Groleau poses — checkered flag in hand — next to his 600 micro sprint at the Upper Peninsula International Raceway in 2016.

ESCANABA — Following the success of the first Christian Groleau Memorial Race last July, the second annual edition of the Upper Peninsula International Raceway event has been announced for this summer on July 31.

“Christian Groleau was many things to many people,” said event organizer and friend of Groleau, Aly Sullivan. “He was a son, a brother, a cousin, a friend (and) an idol to the younger generation of racers at UPIR … Christian had a smile that could light up the darkest of days and hugs that could make you feel like you didn’t have a care in the world. His arms and ears were always open. He had a thirst for adventure and a heart of gold.

“We lost Christian to suicide on January 28th, 2020. It was important to our racing community that his family know just how greatly his loss would be felt by so many of us.”

Following Groleau’s passing, Sullivan and others offered to put together a memorial event when his family was ready.

“At the beginning of July last year, it came up again, and they asked what I thought about fitting one into the current race season,” she said. “There was a week available on the track’s schedule, and within a few weeks, we put together a shockingly-successful event that I am still so grateful for to this day.”

The event raised $4,800 for End the Silence — a suicide awareness and prevention program — last year. Sullivan hopes to break the $5,000 mark this year.

However, the main goal of the event is to raise awareness.

“We want to spread awareness about the pandemic that is suicide and how it is affecting our local area,” said Sullivan. “Christian was just one of multiple people our community had lost within a short time frame to suicide, and we wanted the community to be aware of the resources that are out there.

“It is so important to all of us that this message of hope and help being available is able to be shared on such a large scale.”

Inquiries about donations and other questions regarding the Christian Groleau Memorial Race can be sent via email to sullivan.alyssa@outlook.com.

“We look forward to having a great event and appreciate all of the generous support we’ve been offered to date,” Sullivan said. “We will use this day to not only remember Christian but to remind those out there who may be struggling that there is hope.”