In 16 minutes, somewhere in the United States another life will be lost to suicide – the third leading cause of death among 15 to 24-year-olds and the second leading cause among college students. Yet despite the list of shocking and tragic recent headlines about students who take their own lives, many Americans remain unaware that suicide is a national health problem.
NSU students hope to help change this, and recently helped organize and host the school’s second annual “Out of the Darkness” Walk to Prevent Suicide on Sunday, Nov. 21. The walk raised more than $15,000 so far to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) in its mission to prevent suicide and assist those affected by suicide. NSU will continue to collect donations for the group through Dec. 31.
This is the second Out of the Darkness Community Walk to be held in Broward County since the AFSP began holding the walks in 2004. According to the AFSP, more than 33,000 people in the U.S. die by suicide each year. A major goal of this walk is to show support for the surviving families and friends of Americans who die by suicide, and the more than 20 million people who suffer from depression each year.
Support of the walk also helps to raise funds for suicide prevention research and educational programs, erase the stigma surrounding suicide and its causes, and encourage those who are suffering from mental illness to seek treatment. “Out of the Darkness” Community Walks are taking place in more than 200 communities across the country this fall.
For more information, or to make donations for the “Out of the Darkness” Community Walk at NSU, visit www.outofthedarkness.org or call 954-262-7482.