Volunteers Walk to Prevent Suicide

The annual Greater Los Angeles Out of the Darkness Community Walk in Pasadena hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Central Park in Pasadena with check in at 9 a.m.
This community awareness and fundraising walk supports the AFSP local and national education and advocacy programs and its bold goal to reduce the annual rate of suicide 20 percent by 2025.
Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the United States, the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 20 to 34, and the third leading cause of death among ages 10-19; yet suicide can be prevented.
“As life continues on with these evolving challenging times, mental health and suicide prevention continues to be crucial. It is more important than ever that people understand they are not alone and take intentional steps to care for their mental health. Suicide touches one in five American families. We hope that by walking we will draw attention to this issue and keep other families from experiencing a suicide loss. Our ultimate goal is to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide,” Donna Stokley, Greater Los Angeles and Central Coast Board co-chair and Pasadena walk co-chair, said in a statement.
The Out of the Darkness Community Walk in Pasadena is one of more than 550 Out of the Darkness Overnight, Community and Campus Walks being held nationwide this year. The walks are expected to unite more than 400,000 walkers and raise millions for suicide prevention efforts. Last year, these walks raised over $21 million for suicide prevention.
“These walks are about turning hope into action,” AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia said in a statement. “The research has shown us how to fight suicide, and if we keep up the fight, the science is only going to get better, and our culture will get smarter about mental health. With the efforts of our courageous volunteers, and a real investment from our nation’s leaders, we hope to significantly reduce the suicide rate in the United States.”
The Out of the Darkness Community Walk will include a special musical guest, Dyson. Dyson is a multiplatinum artist and songwriter who will perform her newly released song, “You Are Loved” and debut “Maybe I’m Normal.” The program’s emcee will be Sade Champagne, who is an award-winning and critically-acclaimed professional musical artist, performer, speaker, published author and dream coach. Speakers will include state Sen. Anthony Portantino, Sandri Kramer, Didi Hirsch and Anita Hartog, attempt and loss survivor.
Local sponsors for the Out of the Darkness Community Walk in Pasadena include USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, Las Encinas Hospital, Anthem BlueCross, Anita Hartog Commercial, Stride Fitness Pasadena, Sen. Portantino, Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office, Megilla Co. and ColourPop.
Registration is free and open to the public at afsp.org/Pasadena. Check-in/Registration, activities and resources begins at 9 a.m., the opening ceremony is at 10 a.m., the walk begins around 10:30 a.m. and will end at 12 p.m. Online registration closes at noon the Friday before the walk. However, anyone who would like to participate can register in person at the walk from the time check-in begins until the walk starts. Walk donations are accepted until Dec. 31.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, and with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide.
Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.