Join us in this fundraising walk to benefit AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention).

Walk to remember. Walk to raise awareness. Walk to educate. Walk to reduce shame and stigma surrounding suicide. Walk just to support a great cause - The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

On Saturday, October 18th, The Effort (regional provider of 24-hour Suicide Prevention Services) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will host the first regional Out of the Darkness Community Walk in Sacramento at William Land Park! Suicide continues to be a significant cause of death in our region, and we invite you to make a difference and participate in this 5K inaugural Community Walk.

Over 30,000 lives are lost to suicide each year in the US- a life is lost to suicide every 18 minutes. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth 15-24, and the second leading cause of death among college students. Despite these tragic trends, most Americans remain unaware that suicide is a significant public health problem. The impact that suicide has on the lives of family members, friends, coworkers, and the community is devastating. The loss of human potential is tragic.

A major goal of this event is to show support for the families and friends of survivors of suicide loss, those whose lives have been touched by suicide in some way, as well as the over 20 million people who suffer from depression each year. Support of the community walk also helps to raise needed funds for local and national suicide prevention educational programs, research, erase the stigma surrounding suicide and its causes, and encourage those who are struggling with mental illness to seek treatment.

All funds raised at the Community Walk go directly to AFSP. AFSP is dedicated to preventing the tragic loss of life through its support of research, treatment initiatives, and professional and public education and awareness programs nationally. AFSP also offers programs for survivors of suicide (those who have lost a family member(s), friends, or others in their lives to suicide), and has also developed a variety of materials and resources that will support your professional staff and clients in dealing with this very complex issue. Feel free to contact AFSP about obtaining these materials.

If you would like more information about the walk, or wish to become involved, please feel free to contact Liseanne Wick at (916)368-3110 or at lwick@theeffort.org. To register for the Community Walk, go to www.outofthedarkness.org and locate the Sacramento Walk. Walk as an individual or as part of a team. Walk to remember. Walk to raise awareness. Walk to reduce stigma and shame surrounding suicide loss. Walk just because. We look forward to hearing from you and meeting you at our Community Walk. Thank you in advance for your support. See you in the Park!

***Check out the brochure here***