Family and friends hope to spread carbon monoxide poisoning awareness next month to honor the late William “Bill” Blom, who died in January.

The Blom family is organizing a three-mile outdoor walk, titled “A Walk to Remember,” from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 11 at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, come rain or shine.

“He always loved the outdoors,” Bill’s wife Molly said.

Blom died on Jan. 22 of carbon monoxide poisoning while he was ice fishing in a fish house on Clear Lake in Waseca, Minnesota. His family hopes to honor his memory with the walk, which they hope will become an annual event as Bill loved to walk and explore the nature center.

“We’ve been out there since third grade,” Bill’s friend, Jesse Medgaarden, said.

Family and friends remember Bill for his outdoor escapades, but they also want people to be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide, also called the “invisible killer.” The family will likely hold a giveaway for carbon monoxide detectors at the walk next month, among other ways to inform the public about carbon monoxide poisoning.

When carbon monoxide builds up in an enclosed space, it can cause people to become sick or even die, even though it’s odorless and invisible.

Aside from properly installing and testing a carbon monoxide detector, residents can also keep safe by properly ventilating generators and furnaces and using grills outside instead of indoors, among other things.

“We just want people to know how dangerous this is,” Bill’s mother, Linda Blom, said.

The family will raise donations for a bench in Bill’s honor to be placed at the nature center, with any extra proceeds potentially going toward more nature center trees, among other causes.

Though it has been difficult for Bill’s family and friends since he passed away two months ago, they hope people become more aware of carbon monoxide because of his death. Bill’s sister, Lindsey Reese, said her family has turned to their faith as they process Bill’s loss.

“We just feel like God is at the center of all this,” she said.

National Fire Protection Association Carbon Monoxide tips

• CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home and in other locations where required by applicable laws, codes or standards. For the best protection, interconnect all CO alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for placement and mounting height.

• Choose a CO alarm that has the label of a recognized testing laboratory.

• Call your local fire department’s non-emergency number to find out what number to call if the CO alarm sounds.

• Test CO alarms at least once a month; replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

• If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries. If the battery is low, replace it. If it still sounds, call the fire department.

• If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel.

• If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle or other fueled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open. Make sure the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle is not covered with snow.

• During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove, and fireplace are clear of snow build-up.

• A generator should be used in a well-ventilated location outdoors away from windows, doors and vent openings.

• Gas or charcoal grills can produce CO — only use outside.