KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Volunteers from the Kalamazoo area will be walking for suicide awareness this Sunday, September 26.
The annual Kalamazoo Out of the Darkness Community Walk, hosted by the Michigan Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will be held at 1:00 p.m. Sunday at Celery Flats in Portage.
Officials say this walk supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s education and support programs, along with its goal to reduce the annual U.S. rate of suicide 20 percent by the year 2025.
“Suicide touches one in five American families,” AFSP Michigan Chapter Board Chair Corbin Standley said in a statement. “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.”
The Kalamazoo Out of the Darkness Community Walk 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 300,000 walkers and raise millions for suicide prevention efforts. Last year, officials say these walks raised more than $21 million for suicide prevention.
“These walks are about turning hope into action,” AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia said. “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.”
Details of the walk can be viewed below:
Walk Date: 9/26/2021
Walk Location: Celery Flats, Portage, MI
Check-in/Registration Time: 11:00 a.m.
Event time: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Comments