The Need to Knows of Chatham’s 2022 Out of the Darkness Walk
Each year, the Chatham community hosts our very own Out of the Darkness Walk on our Shadyside Campus. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) Out of the Darkness Walk is meant to ensure that those who have struggled with suicide, personally or through the loss of a loved one, know that they have community and are not alone. The walk sheds light on the stories of those who have been touched by suicide and helps participants learn the risk factors for suicide and how they can help themselves and others. According to the AFSP website, “It is a journey of remembrance, hope, support, and a walk that unites campus and community—a time to acknowledge the ways in which suicide and mental illness have affected our lives and our loved ones.” The AFSP and the Out of the Darkness Walks are striving to reduce the annual suicide rate 20% by 2025—if you join the walk, you join that cause.
Need to Know Info
When: Saturday, April 9, 2022
Check-In: 10:00 am
Opening Ceremony: 11:00 am
Location: Mellon Patio, Shadyside Campus, Pittsburgh, PA
Fundraising: If you raise $100 as an individual participant by April 9, 2022, you’ll receive a free Out of the Darkness Campus Walk T-Shirt. Donations will be accepted until June 30th.
Registration: https://supporting.afsp.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=8140
Online registration closes at noon the Friday before the walk. However, anyone who would like to participate can register in person at the walk from the time check-in begins until the walk starts.
Honor Beads
Another activity of the day includes wearing an honor bead. Each honor bead demonstrates a different connection to the cause and according to the AFSP website is a “way to show each other that we are all connected to the cause and that no one is alone. There is an honor bead for everyone, whether you have lost a loved one, struggle personally, support a loved one, or all of the above.”
Explore which honor bead(s) are your color—
⚪️ White: Loss of a Child
🔴 Red: Loss of a Spouse or Partner
💛 Gold: Loss of a Parent
🧡 Orange: Loss of a Sibling
💜 Purple: Loss of a Relative or Friend
🎖 Silver: Loss of a First Responder/Military
💚 Green: A Personal Struggle or Attempt
🦋 Teal: Supporting Someone Who Struggles or Has Attempted
🔵 Blue: Supporting Suicide Prevention
Important Suicide & Depression Statistics*
“In 2018, there were 48,344 reported suicides in the U.S.”
“Suicide is the second leading cause of death for those between the ages of 10 and 34 years old in the U.S.”
“Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the U.S.”
“In 2018, men died by suicide 3.56x more often than women.”
“In 2018, firearms accounted for 50.57% of all suicide deaths.”
“25 million Americans suffer from depression each year. Over 50% of people who die by suicide suffer from major depression.”
“More Americans suffer from depression than coronary heart disease, cancer, and HIV/AIDS.”
“Depression is among the most treatable of psychiatric illnesses. Between 80%-90% of people with depression respond positively to treatment, and almost all patients gain some relief from their symptoms. But first, depression has to be recognized.”
“The best way to prevent suicide is through early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of depression and other mood disorders.”
*all of the above statistics (and more) are featured on the AFSP website
Questions or concerns about participating? Contact Program Director of Occupational Therapy, Sharon Novalis at snovalis@chatham.edu or Program Director of our MFA in Creative Writing, Sheila Squillante at ssquillante@chatham.edu. You can learn more about suicide prevention at afsp.org or by calling 888-333-AFSP.