Suicide Prevention Walk Scheduled for Oct. 14

Thousands of walkers from throughout the Twin Cities are expected to participate in the upcoming Out of the Darkness Community Walk on Sunday, Oct. 14.

The fundraising walk supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) by helping to support local and national suicide prevention awareness programs.

The Twin Cities Out of the Darkness Walk is one of nearly 250 similar walks being held nationwide this Fall. The walks are expected to unite more than 100,000 walkers nationally and raise more than $7.5 million for suicide prevention efforts.

“Much more needs to be done to prevent suicide. Yet, suicide and the underlying mental disorders that can sometimes lead to suicide, continue to be surrounded by misinformation and stigma,” Lindsey Rafnson said. “This walk is about reducing stigma, raising awareness and raising funds for research and localprevention programs.”

The Twin Cities community walk will begin at Black Bear Crossing at Como Park in St. Paul at 10:00am and end at approximately 1:00pm. Registration begins at 8:30am.

It is estimated that close to 1 million Americans make a suicide attempt, more than 36,000 die from suicide, and more than 20 million suffer from depression each year.

“Every 15 minutes someone dies by suicide in the U.S.,” said Robert Gebbia, Executive Director for AFSP. “This fall, thousands will be walking to raise money for prevention and awareness, and offer hope to millions of people who have lost a loved one to suicide or who battle personally with depression, bipolar illness, addiction and other mental illnesses.”