The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will be hosting its Out of the Darkness Walk in Hoboken on October 23, 2022. Out of the Darkness Walks take place across the country every year, since their flagship event in 2004, with the goal of “giving people the courage to open up about their own connections to the cause” by ultimately providing a “platform to create a culture that’s smarter about mental health.” Participants can also raise money to donate to AFSP, to which their donations will be used to fund research for suicide prevention, create and distribute educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support survivors of suicide loss. Thanks to the community that has donated and continues to support AFSP, they have been able to set a goal to reduce the annual suicide rate by 20% by 2025.
Founded in 1987, AFSP is a voluntary health organization based in New York City and stands as the world’s largest private funder of suicide prevention research. They host a range of events with the purpose of promoting mental health and suicide prevention, which include: campus walks, which are 5k walks at colleges and high schools throughout the country, and overnight walks, in which participants walk over 16 miles from dusk till dawn, and community walks.
As of five days prior to the event, the Hoboken Out of the Darkness Walk has raised approximately $32,000, which is just under half of their goal of $65,000. Check-in for the event begins at 9 a.m. at the Stevens Institute of Technology Babbio Center on the morning of, and the walk will begin at 10:15 a.m. For more information about the Hoboken Out of the Darkness walk, please contact Elizabeth Clemens at mvargas@afsp.org.
While this specific event is held in Hoboken, there are many opportunities to join in on other walks throughout the country. To register for an event, learn more about the cause, or donate to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, please visit afsp.org.
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