Ventnor Boardwalk to Host Community Walk to Fight Suicide

VENTNOR – Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, yet suicide is preventable. More than 150 people from throughout Atlantic and Cape May Counties are expected to participate in the annual Atlantic-Cape Out of the Darkness Community Walk at 9:00 a.m., Sept. 30 at the Ventnor Boardwalk. This fundraising walk supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s local and national education and advocacy programs and its bold goal to reduce the annual rate of suicide 20 percent by 2025.
“We walk to raise awareness about this important health issue. Suicide touches one in five American families. We hope that by walking we save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide,” said Cheneen Austin, AFSP Atlantic-Cape Walk co-chair
The Atlantic-Cape Out of the Darkness Walk is one of more than 375 Out of the Darkness Community Walks being held nationwide this year. The walks are expected to unite more than 250,000 walkers and raise millions for suicide prevention efforts. With this walk last year, the Atlantic-Cape walk raised over $7,700 and had over 100 participants.
Speakers at the Atlantic-Cape Out of the Darkness Walk will include persons who have struggled personally with suicide in addition to family and friends of those who have passed from suicide.
“These walks are about turning hope into action,” said AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia. “Suicide is a serious problem, but it’s a problem we can solve. The research has shown us how to fight suicide, and if we keep up the fight the science is only going to get better, our culture will get smarter about mental health, and we’ll be able to save more people from dying from depression and other mental health conditions.”
You can register at the AFSP Atlantic-Cape Out of the Darkness walk at afsp.org/ventnor