Depression, anxiety and the risk of suicide among college students is very real and very preventable, and yet it is the second leading cause of death in young adults from the age of 15 through 24. On Saturday April 8, students and faculty at Western New England University invite you to walk with them to support those struggling in silence.
More than 250 students and community members are expected to participate in the annual University Out of the Darkness Campus Walk starting at 10:00 a.m. on the lawn of Commonwealth Hall. This fundraising walk supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) local and national education and advocacy programs, and its important goal to reduce the annual suicide rate 20 percent by 2025.
“We hope that this campus walk will educate more people, and help them understand that suicide is preventable. That will help save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide,” said Niamh Champiny, 2017 University Walk chair.
The Western New England University Out of the Darkness Campus Walk is one of more than 125 Walks being held nationwide this year. The walks are expected to unite more than 25,000 supporters, and raise over a million dollars for suicide prevention efforts. Last year’s walk raised over $5,000 and had more than 180 participants. This year’s goal is to raise $8,000 with more than 250 walkers.
“These walks are about turning hope into action,” explained AFSP Area Director, Heather White. “Suicide is a serious problem, but it’s a problem we can solve. The research has shown us how to fight suicide, and if we keep up the fight, the science is only going to get better, our culture will get smarter about mental health, and we’ll be able to save more people from dying from depression and other mental health conditions.”
Register for the Western New England University Out of the Darkness Walk today at www.afsp.org/wne, and be an everyday hero in the fight against suicide.
