Ohio State’s Suicide Prevention Program will host it’s Out of the Darkness Walk on Saturday to spread awareness and raise money for suicide prevention efforts. Credit: Courtesy of Laura Lewis

The Out of the Darkness Campus Walk, a walk dedicated to preventing suicide, will hold its first in-person walk in two years Saturday following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

The walk, organized by the university’s Suicide Prevention Program in collaboration with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, aims to spread awareness and raise funds for suicide prevention. The in-person walk runs from 10 a.m. to noon, and attendees can participate virtually, according to the Suicide Prevention Program’s website. 

Laura Lewis, assistant director of the Suicide Prevention Program, said the walk is important because of the impact suicide has on many. 

“Whether you’re a survivor yourself or you’re a survivor in a sense that you know someone who has attempted or completed, whether you are just passionate about reducing stigma around mental health, or as someone who just wants Buckeyes to be well, I think there’s a place for everybody to join in the walk,” Lewis said. 

Lewis said the walk also aims to build a campus culture of care and offer support to those who need it.

In 2020 — the most recent year for which data is available — nearly 46,000 people died by suicide, and there were an estimated 1.2 million suicide attempts, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s website. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for those ages 15-24, with around 6,000 people in this age range dying from suicide in 2019.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a national nonprofit devoted to raising awareness about and preventing suicide, according to the foundation’s website. The foundation hosts suicide prevention walks in cities and universities across the country.

Lewis said the walk is also a fundraising event, with all the money raised going to chapters of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In 2020, when the event was held virtually, Ohio State raised $29,000 — fourth among schools in the country that participated in the event.

Kaela Axelrod, a third-year in psychology, said the walk offers support to attendees and changes the conversation around suicide prevention. 

“I feel like when a lot of people think about suicide prevention, they think of the actual act itself, but I feel like there’s so much more that goes in behind that to prevent that,” Axelrod said.  

Axelrod said although this is not her first walk, it is the first time she will experience it in person as part of the Suicide Prevention Program, and she is looking forward to the opportunity. 

Lewis said she hopes the walk will raise awareness about suicide prevention and ensure that Ohio State students know what to do in situations with people who are experiencing depression.

“I think the walk is a reminder that we care about each other, and when people are in distress, we don’t just turn a blind eye to that,” Lewis said. “We reach out, we say something, we do something, we ask the question, ‘Are you okay?’ ”

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts or ideation, there are resources available.

Hotlines:

  • National Suicide Prevention 24/7 Lifeline: 800-273-8255
  • Columbus Suicide 24/7 Hotline: 614-221-5445
  • The Trevor Project 24/7 LGBTQ Suicide Hotline: 866-488-7386
  • Ohio State Counseling and Consultation Services After Hours: 614-292-5766, option 2

Text Lines:

  • National 24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741-741
  • Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services 24/7 Crisis Text Line: Text “4HOPE” to 741-741
  • The Trevor Project LGBTQ Suicide Prevention 24/7 Text Line: Text “START” to 678-678

Online Chats: