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

World Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day

World Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day is observed on the 10th of September each year to raise awareness and provide worldwide commitment and action in the prevention of suicide.

September 9-15th is National Suicide Prevention Week




Every year more than 1 million people die of suicide world wide.

That's 1 person every 40 seconds

The rate of suicide had gone up 60% over the last 45 years

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. (the 2nd leading cause of death among those between the ages of 25-35; the 3rd leading cause of death among those between the ages of 10-24)

There are 20 more attempts for every suicide completed (100-200 more  attempts for those between the ages of 10-24)

90% of those who have died of suicide had a diagnosed and treatable psychiatric condition at the time of death.

Most people with mental illness do not die by suicide.

(Information from the Centers for Disease Control and World Heath Organization)

This weekend, I joined over 1,500 people to participate in the Out of the Darkness Walk for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention to raise money for suicide prevention and awareness.


Over $100,000 was raised. The money goes to providing awareness and prevention training, peer leadership/support, interactive screening programs, and awareness programs for local sheriff's departments.



It was a beautiful day with bright blue Colorado skies and temperatures reaching over 80 degrees. In fact, I got pretty hot a mile or so into the walk. We walked around the beautiful trails that surround the suburbs of Denver with the Rocky Mountains reaching high in the background.

Leading the walk was one of the Colorado Crusaders Equestrian Team horses. The horse had shoes tied to his saddle in memory of those lost to suicide.










At the start of the walk, butterflies were released into the cloudless sky. Butterflies symbolize change, and are considered to bring luck. The Ancient Greeks also considered butterflies as the souls of those who had passed away.





Many local businesses and organizations came out to support and sponsor the cause. 

Make sure you wear yellow today to support World Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day and raise awareness in the prevention of suicide.