Suicide prevention organizations will address a topic that a walk organizer describes as a “blacklist topic.”
People will walk and share their personal reasons to live in an effort to bring awareness to suicide prevention.
The Out of Darkness 5k walk will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, with registration beginning at 11:30 a.m.
The walk, in partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, begins at the Atrium patio with a speech and participants will walk around campus. There will be tables set up for other organizations that are similar to the Alive Campaign.
At the halfway point, participants will be able to write their reason to walk on a large sheet. They will receive a free bracelet from the Alive Campaign.
“Suicide is a very blacklist topic and no one wants to talk about it on college campuses, there [are] a lot of things about suicide that people don’t know, like paying attention and looking at their surroundings,” said Brandon Puszkiewicz, director of Public Relations and Coordination for the Alive Campaign. “Suicide can be very avoidable.”
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a person dies by suicide every 13.7 minutes, claims more than 38,000 lives each year and is the second leading cause of death for college students.
“The walk goes towards funding for research, and also to help provide different activities and events to raise suicide awareness, especially on college campuses,” said Carmen Diaz, the Executive Director of the Alive Campaign. “The walk will also raise awareness for the Alive Campaign, which tries to have a positive infrastructure on suicide prevention to let
people know there is support,”
By participating in the walk, will help raise money for research and education programs to prevent suicide and will help to save lives. The walk will also help to increase national awareness about depression and suicide and to provide support for survivors or suicide loss.
Different colored Mardi Gras beads will be available for participants to wear. Each color represents a different loved one lost.
“Whether it’s an uncle, a cousin, a friend, someone who has personally struggled with suicide, or a survivor, will be represented by a different color bead,” Diaz said.
Puszkiewicz said the different colored beads have a deep meaning.
“It’s a great cause because you are walking for people in their honor, and the walk is a remembrance of people,” he said.
People interested in participating in the walk can join the Alive Campaign team or create their own teams. People can register by visiting bit.ly/11ohmHP or at the event on Sunday.
The Alive Campaign meets at 9 p.m. every Wednesday in the Pineshelf Room on the second floor of the L.A. Pittenger Student Center.
MARG:
Who: Alive Campaign and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
What: Out of Darkness 5k walk
When: 1 p.m. Sunday
