Susanville’s annual Out of Darkness Walk, an event that lets local participants join with hundreds of thousands of people across the country to raise awareness and funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, will be held tomorrow, September 9th, in Memorial Park.
The AFSP is a non-profit organization that invests in new research, creates educational programs, advocates for public policy and supports survivors of suicide loss.
These community walks, held in hundreds of cities across the country, give people the courage to open up about their own struggle or loss, and provide a platform to change our culture’s approach to mental health.
The walk includes a Bead Ceremony with different colored beads that represent how suicide has affected a person’s life.
A person may wear one, or as many as that applies to them.
There will be speakers telling their story then everyone drops their beads into the Honor Bead Vase. This ceremony and the beads help create a way for people to connect with others without words or stigma.
After the walk, there will be live entertainment, BBQ, booths and many resources available.
Check-in/Registration time is 9:00a.m., the walk begins at 10:00.
For more information, please contact walk chair Nicola Lamica at 530-251-8328 or email [email protected].
Online registration for the event closes today. However, anyone who would like to participate can register in person at the walk from the time check-in begins until the walk starts. Registration is free and open to the public.
Your donation funds advocacy programs that support smart mental health legislation in state and federal government. The AFSP invests more than .83 cents of each dollar toward research, education, advocacy and support for those affected by suicide. Lassen County has decided to spend their funds on Veteran support programs.
By contributing to the Lassen County Out of the Darkness Community Walk, you are helping fund vital research into suicide, develop and implement educational programs that save lives, and becoming a part of the movement to change how we address mental health.
