The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will try to change how the world thinks about suicide Sunday, Oct. 4. AFSP will hold its annual Out of the Darkness Community Walk at Creve Coeur Park, hoping for a turnout of 1,500 walkers, Linda Ferhmann, president of the Eastern Missouri chapter of AFSP, said.

Registration for the walk will begin at 10 a.m. and the walk itself will start at noon. There also will be raffle items and a 50/50 drawing to work toward the goal of raising $95,000, Ferhmann said. But raising money is not AFSP’s only purpose for the event.

“The goal of the walk is not just to raise money to support research and education, but also to raise awareness of the impact of suicide within a community and to bring survivors together for a day of hope and healing,” Ferhmann said.

Ferhmann herself said she joined AFSP as a way to find purpose after losing her only son to suicide.

If students want to get involved, Ferhmann said they should consider join the Out of the Darkness Walk. But ultimately, learning about suicide and raising awareness is one of the best ways to make a difference.

“Talking openly about suicide helps to reduce the stigma and encourages those individuals at risk to engage in help seeking behaviors,” Ferhmann said.

Liz Cox, Herff Jones yearbook representative for MHS, has participated in the walk for the past three years and has been part of the planning process for two.

“As I watched people all over the park, I suddenly realized how many people were touched by the loss of someone close to them, or they had personally struggled with depression,” Cox said. “It was an enormous weight when I recognized that.”

Cox has experienced the devastating effects of suicide: she lost a friend to suicide in college and had another friend who attempted. Five years ago her father died by suicide.
“He was the strongest man I knew, and depression took him from me,” Cox said.

Cox said she hopes that by talking about depression, more people will understand and those who suffer will get the help they need.

“Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in America, but we don’t talk about it,” Cox said. “I think students who suffer from depression or who contemplate suicide feel that they are all alone and there is no help. They think that they are the only one struggling. The numbers show that they are far from alone.”