LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
U.S. Service members and civilians from the Hampton Roads, Virginia, community are set to join forces to promote suicide awareness during the Out of the Darkness Community Walk at Mount Trashmore Park in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Sept. 12, 2015.
This year will mark the event's 10th anniversary of raising awareness, combating the stigma of mental illness and honoring those who took their own lives as well as family and friends affected by loss.
"There are many walks to promote physical health; this is the walk to promote good mental health," said Chris Gilchrist, Hampton Roads area psychotherapist and Out of the Darkness Walk event coordinator. "It's a day of awareness and ... remembrance for those touched by depression and suicide."
Partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the walk raises money through volunteer donations which help the AFSP raise awareness, fund scientific research, advocate government legislation which promotes suicide prevention efforts and provides resources for individuals and families affected by suicide.
"Before we can effectively address, educate [and] raise awareness of depression as a treatable disease and suicide as a preventable tragedy, we must first counter the stigma," said Gilchrist. "We need to combat the preexisting stigma to make room for the hope that comes in knowing untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide - and depression is treatable. There is help, just like any other disease."
The walk will feature informative speakers, professional counselors, activity tables, music and complementary food and refreshments donated by local businesses.
For the past six years, military and local community members partnered to make the Hampton Roads area walk the nation's largest walk with 8,234 participants in 2014 and more than $244,000 raised to date.
"This is the event in Hampton Roads in which we see the greatest cooperation of military and civilians coming together for a common cause," said Gilchrist. "When our military and civilian [communities] join forces, we can have a great impact on the wellbeing of our country."
According to the AFSP, one person dies by suicide every 13 minutes in the United States, a statistic which resulted in 41,100 lives lost in 2014. Of these deaths, more than 90 percent suffered from diagnosable psychiatric disorders.
In the event of severe weather or park closure, the event will move to Sept. 13.
For more information or to register for the walk, visit www.sos-walk.org or call Gilchrist at (757) 483-5111.