More than 300 people from Walworth County are expected to participate in the Walworth County Out of the Darkness community walk at 9 a.m. Nov. 4 at the Walworth County Fairgrounds.
The fundraising walk supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s local and national programs and its goal of reducing the annual rate of suicide 20 percent by 2025.
The walk will be hosted by the Walworth County Suicide Prevention Education and Awareness Coalition, which was formed as a result of the first Out of the Darkness Walk in Walworth County in 2015. Prior to this, Walworth County was one of the only counties in Wisconsin without a suicide prevention group.
W-SPEAC has since combined with the Walworth County Community Health Improvement Plan Depression and Suicide Work Group and created a four-year plan for preventing suicide in Walworth County. The Out of the Darkness walk is one way to raise funds to implement the suicide prevention plan since up to half the money raised can be spent locally.
“Suicide affects one in five American families,” said Rebecca McAuliffe, co-chairman of the Walworth County Out of the Darkness walk and W-SPEAC member. “I am walking to bring awareness to this leading cause of death and let people in the community know that they are not alone. There is help out there for those who live with a mental health condition and support for those who have lost a loved one to suicide,”
The Walworth County walk is part of a national Out of the Darkness walk movement consisting of community walks, campus walks and two overnight walks each year. In 2016, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hosted more than 500 Out of the Darkness walks spanning all 50 states, uniting more than 240,000 walkers and raising millions of dollars for suicide prevention research, education and advocacy.
Proceeds from the walks support programs such as Talk Saves Lives, an educational presentation about how to recognize the risk factors and warning signs of suicide, and a new film titled “It’s Real: College Students and Mental Health” that launched this spring. Through fundraising at the walks and other community and national events, the foundation has been able to fund 552 research grants totaling more than $34 million since 1987.
With money raised from last year’s walk, W-SPEAC hosted a day-long training in mental health first aid for Walworth County community members. Mental health first aid is an American Foundation for Suicide Prevention program that teaches participants how to assist someone in a mental health or substance abuse crisis. In the future, W-SPEAC hopes to sponsor additional trainings in mental health first aid and Talk Saves Lives.
“These walks are about turning hope into action,” said foundation Chief Executive Officer Robert Gebbia. “Suicide is a serious problem, but it’s a problem we can solve. The research has shown us how to fight suicide, and, if we keep up the fight, the science is only going to get better, our culture will get smarter about mental health, and we’ll be able to save more people from dying from depression and other mental health conditions.”
Local American Foundation for Suicide Prevention sponsors for the Walworth County Out of the Darkness community walk include Walworth County Health and Human Services, J. Robert’s Menswear, R&L Spring Company, Advia Credit Union, and Verlo Mattress Factory.
Just in todays Journal-NHC( NursingHome Care expected to cost $100k a Yr by 2025!
Reserach done by GenworthFinancial.. And only the Wealhty will be able to afford that! and this does play heavy on one’s Mind? that isn’t mental Illness, its common sense.Expeically isf one has alot of Medical issues…Btwn Medicare and Private Ins. Companies allowing Medical Costs to rise aat outrageous rates and Get away with outrageous prices? It become logical to Terminate one’s Life.. but I guess not to the Bleeding Hearts and Liberals..