Jake Haapajoki was your normal 16-year old kid.  He was a son, a brother, a nephew, a cousin, a grandson, a friend, a boyfriend, an athlete and active in his church.  Jake had a family that loved him and supported him in all he did.  His siblings adored him.  He had genuine connections with his aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins.  His community loved him.  Jake’s smile was nearly constant when he was in the presence of his friends and in social environments.  His smile could light up a room like no other.  His wild hair and a unique love his shoes were dominate in his handsome self.  He loved candy.

Jake took his life on February 21, 2018.

Jake couldn’t see an end to his pain.

Jake made a mistake.  Suicide is always a mistake.

Jake’s family and friends, through their despair and grief, have launched the Smiles for Jake Movement to begin work to eliminate suicide and provide hope to all that suffer from darkness and despair.   The hashtag #wearealljake has been created to represent each and every person in this world that needs an extra smile, a hug, a high five, kind words or simply a moment of attention.

Smiles for Jake’s mission is to be a suicide prevention movement that spreads positivity through life-affirming actions, listening ears, and the message that everyone should have hope. Born in and spreading from a community that experienced the suicide of a beloved son, our short-term goal is to reduce the suicide rate and our long-term vision is to stomp out suicide worldwide.