Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Out Of the Darkness

Every year, I join hundreds of other supports for the South Metro Community Out of the Darkness Walk to promote suicide awareness and prevention. The walk is held locally every September. (Click here for recaps of my past walks.)



Last year, the walk raised over $126,000 with half of the net proceeds benefiting our community by:

  • Providing the suicide awareness training, More Than Sad: Teen Depression to Colorado High Schools
  • Providing funding for  (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training)
  • Providing the peer leader/suicide awareness training  - Sources of Strength- to multiple Colorado High Schools
  • Providing community suicide awareness trainings - 
This year, the Colorado Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is hoping raise $140,000. All proceeds will go to continued support for the initiatives above and the work of the AFSP Colorado Chapter.


The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)  is the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide.


The topic of suicide tends to stay silent, but we need to talk about it. Raising awareness and providing prevention programs is important. I hope that everyone can do something, even if just a little, to spread awareness on suicide and suicide prevention in their area. 

The AFSP hosts hundreds of events every year and many walks across the nation during the month of September. To find a walk in your area go to afsp.donordrive.com

Here are some pictures from the past Out of the Darkness Community Walks I participated in...






I look forward to the walk each year. It is a great time to focus efforts on raising awareness for an important cause. I will be sure to post an update and pictures of the walk after September 6th. 

For more information on the Out of the Darkness Walk and to find a walk near you please visit afsp.donordrive.com

For more information on the AFSP please visit afsp.org



12 comments:

Roland D. Yeomans said...

What a great endeavor. I enjoyed the glimpses of the beauty of life in this event to stop suicide. On the anniversary of Ernest Hemingway's suicide, I have his ghost talk of suicide and generational effect it often has. May there be fewer suicides because of your efforts.

Rebecca Green Gasper said...

@Roland- and also because of yours. What a creative and wonderful way to share such important information. Thank you. :)

Yolanda Renée said...

Such a wonderful cause, and lately there seems to be so many in the news.

Robin said...

It is an important topic that does need to be discussed more openly. The only way to put a stop to something is shedding light on it. I hope your walk raises a lot of money!

Morgan said...

So, so, SO NEAT, Rebecca. What an amazing cause. This is definitely something that needs to get more attention.

Brandon Ax said...

Awesome cause and that place looks beautiful. Hope tons of money gets raised.

Michael Di Gesu said...

You are so amazing! What a great cause!

I hope you guys raise TONS!

Susan Oloier said...

This is so you! You're always giving to the community and raising awareness. I am so very proud of you, Rebecca.

Rebecca Green Gasper said...

Thanks everyone! Such sweet and wonderful comments. I really look forward to this every year. It is some that is near and dear to my heart. Thanks for the hopes and wishes!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I hope they raise twice that amount this year!

A Beer for the Shower said...

What a great cause, and definitely something that needs to be addressed. I'd love to participate if the nearest one wasn't so far away from us.

Robin said...

Just wanted to let you know that I dedicated something to you on the Thursday post. Hope you like it:)