Meghan Markle’s Mom, Doria Ragland, Runs a 5K for Suicide Prevention in Los Angeles

O, The Oprah Magazine / October 2, 2019

This weekend, while Meghan Markle was in Africa on her royal tour, her mother, Doria Ragland, turned out to support a cause she and her daughter both care deeply about: mental health.

On Sunday, September 29, Ragland attended the 21st Annual Alive and Running 5K for Suicide Prevention in Los Angeles. She finished the race in 39:50.

According to the event’s website, Alive & Running is an “uplifting, life-affirming event that remembers loved ones lost to suicide while raising funds and awareness for the Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center,” which happens to be the first in the nation.

The Didi Hirsch Suicide Prevention Center is a leader around the world in training, research and services for people who have thought about, attempted or lost someone to suicide, the organization’s website explains.

The 5K run that Ragland participated in raised $464,081 for the organization, beating the group’s fundraising goal of $400,000 for the event.

Ragland, who has a background in social work, cares deeply about mental health issues, a cause she shares with her daughter and her son-in-law, Prince Harry.

Both Harry and Meghan are involved with Heads Together, a mental health awareness campaign that Harry launched with his brother, Prince William, which aims to reduce the stigma around mental health in the United Kingdom.