About 1,000 people are expected to participate in the Oct. 8 Out of the Darkness Walk, the anchor event of UA’s Suicide Awareness Week. The walk, one of 350 such events taking place across the country this fall, is the second-largest walk of its kind in the state of Alabama.
The walk begins at 2 p.m., with registration and check-in starting at 1 p.m. at the Ferguson Center Plaza. Pre-registration is encouraged, and those who cannot walk at the event but wish to participate can pre-register as a “virtual walker,” according to Kimberly Jenkins-Richardson of the UA Counseling Center. Walkers, either individually or as a team, will set a fundraising goal.
“After the participants complete the two laps around the Quad, they will return to the Ferguson Center Plaza where they will be provided free refreshments from Kona Ice and will have an opportunity to visit with and obtain information from local campus and community mental health agencies and support organizations,” said Jenkins-Richardson.
The UA Counseling Center, along with Capstone College of Nursing, Student Health Center and Pharmacy, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, the Kristen Amerson Youth Foundation, North Harbor Pavilion and SOS of Tuscaloosa are sponsoring the walk, which is an event of the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention.
Counseling Center Director Lee Keyes said, “The Counseling Center’s mission is to promote student academic success and personal growth through our outreach services such as the Out of the Darkness Walk. As a signature event of Suicide Awareness Week, the Out of the Darkness Walk promotes prevention and provides support to family and friends affected by a loved one’s death due to suicide.”
Events such as the Out of the Darkness Walk are important because the funds raised for research and education, and the awareness raised, help reduce the suicide rate.
“The Counseling Center believes that the best prevention lies in the hands of a well-trained and responsive community,” Keyes said.