MORGANTOWN — One death every 11 minutes.
That’s 47,511 people.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that is how many Americans committed suicide in 2019 — the most recent year for which data is available.
For every person who takes their own life, untold thousands think about it, plan it, or attempt it. Every life lost leaves behind loved ones, friends, neighbors.
It’s for all those people that American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will host an Out of the Darkness Walk Saturday in Krepps Park. Opening ceremonies begin at 11 a.m.
The walk is one of eight in West Virginia this fall and one of hundreds across the country.
“We’re trying to bring mental health and suicide out of the darkness and into the light. We need to get rid of the stigma and get the conversations going and get help to people and the resources they need,” AFSP West Virginia Chair Cindy Stagg said. “We want to let people know they’re supported and not alone. There’s help.”
The walks serve as the main fundraiser for the AFSP, though donations are not necessary to participate. Participants can register at afsp.org/morgantown or in person, starting at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The gatherings fill different needs for different people, Stagg said. For some, it’s about overcoming personal struggles. For others, it’s about connecting with others. A lot of folks show up just to talk and listen, and skip the walking altogether.
“We used different color beads, and they represent the person you’ve lost or your own personal struggle. So if you’re wearing a white bead and you look around see other people wearing white beads, you know they’ve lost a child to suicide, too. Orange is a sibling. Gold is a parent,” Stagg said.
“It’s an instant form of communication. It’s a way of showing you’re not alone in your grief journey. Other people hurt and have experienced the same kind of loss. It’s a way to get people together in the community, to support each other and to actually look around and find out that they really aren’t alone in what they’re going through. Nobody has to do that by themselves.”
TWEET @DominionPostWV
