The township of Saddle Brook in New Jersey hosted an Out of the Darkness Walk at Saddle River County Park on Oct. 13. Thousands of people came together to raise awareness of suicide and celebrate the lives of those who lost their battle to it.
The walk began at 10 a.m. and participants had the choice of walking around the first pond or walking around a bigger section of the park roughly two miles long. Each person who officially signed up for the walk had created their own fundraiser to help The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) continue to host the Out of the Darkness Walks.
Before the walk started, those who raised $150 or more were recognized and awarded an Out of the Darkness Walk 2024 t-shirt. The AFSP provided free refreshments and snacks to all participants. They also had merchandise for sale, such as shirts, reusable water bottles, pens and bandanas. All of the sale profits were donated to the foundation and to fund other Out of the Darkness Walks around the country. Colored beaded necklaces were hung around the meeting area of the park with corresponding signs stating what each color represented.
As people showed up, they would walk around the meeting area and take a necklace or multiple necklaces that resonated with them. Losing someone to suicide or struggling with a mental illness can feel like no one understands what you are going through. The necklaces helped attendees identify others who could understand our various experiences and struggles, which sparked conversations and community support. For instance, a green necklace symbolizes personal struggles or attempts, a red necklace signifies the loss of a spouse or partner, a gold necklace represents the loss of a parent as well as several others.
This event honored the lives of many, and was attended by thousands. There were families, individuals, sororities, groups of friends, organizations and even some of our own Ramapo students at the event. An attendee of the event Katie Morann from the Montclair State chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon (DPhiE) sorority said, “We [the sorority] have a deep personal connection as one of our sisters committed suicide a few years back. To honor her, we come to volunteer at local suicide and mental health awareness events.”
Other sororities and organizations with uplifting mantras were at the event, walking, volunteering, and showing their support for suicide and mental health awareness. As the walk concluded, the shared stories, colored necklaces, and communal support symbolized a collective commitment to fight against suicide and mental illness.
Even though Suicide Prevention Month ended we should still continue to advocate, promote awareness, be there for one another, and foster compassion so that together we can work towards a world where no one feels alone in their struggles.
krosen@ramapo.edu
Featured photo by Karissa Rosen
