Milwaukee’s Out of the Darkness Walk Raises Money for Suicide Prevention
In October of 2015, I lost my dear friend, Dan, to suicide. Dan was kind, funny and popular. He played football in high school, and some of my favorite memories from high school were of cheering him on from the sidelines. I miss so much about him, from the talks we would have in his parked car to the time we would spend exploring our town. I’ll never forget the time we were driving to Woodfield mall and overshot it by eleven miles, only realizing our mistake when we passed the first stop on Chicago’s blue line. Dan’s life was one cut far too short, and I feel so deeply for others who have experienced the loss of a loved one to such a vicious epidemic.
This past Sunday, I had the incredible experience to walk in Milwaukee’s Out of the Darkness Walk. I found out about the walk from a friend who had participated in one, and members of my hometown community have done them all over—even as far away as Dublin, Ireland. The Out of the Darkness walks raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which allocates funds to treatment and outreach for those facing mental illness, including programming at high schools and universities. Much of this programming saves lives by fighting the stigma that comes with mental illness and suicide, making it more comfortable for others to reach out when they face thoughts of suicide. The AFSP seeks to decrease the rate of suicide by 25% by 2020. Though this is a large undertaking, I wholeheartedly believe that if any organization can make that happen, this one can.
The walk itself was absolutely eye-opening. 1,400 people came out to Humboldt Park, and it was amazing to see people of all ages (and their dogs) come out to raise money to fight this epidemic. The walk provided strands of beads in different colors, each representing a connection to the cause—the loss of a partner, a child, a relative, a friend, a personal struggle with mental health concerns, and so on. To look around the park and see so many people with beads in the same color as mine was heartbreaking, but it made me feel much less alone. Before we started our 3-mile walk of 3 laps around the park, volunteers with beads in each color stood on stage while the story of their connection with suicide was shared. These stories were unbelievably powerful—a woman who lost her husband, a man who lost his brother, a woman who lost her dear friend from high school. To see these stories represented was cathartic for me and opened my eyes to a grieving community that wanted to fight back against the disease that had taken their loved ones from them.
I cannot understate the importance of ASFP’s work and the walks through Out of the Darkness. In addition to the enormous undertaking of putting an end to suicide, these walks serve to create a community for people who might feel more alone than ever. I implore you to check out these incredible organizations and see what you can do to get involved. It could save a life.