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Kent State Hosts Out of the Darkness Campus Walk for Suicide Awareness
Posted March 30, 2015 | Rachel Gill
Participants gather for the Out of the Darkness Campus
Walk that took place last year to raise funds for the
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. This year,
the walk will take place April 18 from 4-6 p.m, beginning
at the Risman Plaza/Student Green area on the Kent
Campus.
Kent State University will host the Out of the Darkness Campus Walk to raise funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) on April 18 from 4-6 p.m. This signature fundraising campaign is designed to engage young people in the foundation’s mission and programs with 3- to 5-mile walks each spring at colleges and high schools across the country.
When you walk in the Out of the Darkness Campus Walks, you join the effort with thousands of people to raise funds and awareness for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s vision to create a world without suicide. AFSP is the leader in the fight against suicide. It funds research, creates educational programs, advocates for public policy and supports survivors of suicide loss. Kent State faculty, staff and students are encouraged to join and help raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, every year, suicide claims more lives than war, murder and natural disasters combined. A suicide occurs every 12.9 minutes, and an attempt is made every minute of every day, resulting in nearly one million attempts annually. Moreover, suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students and the third for individuals ages 15-24. In Ohio, suicide claimed the lives of 41,149 individuals in 2013. Suicide is the only cause in the top 10 causes of death in the U.S. where the numbers are continuing to increase.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention invites members of the Kent State community to create a team or join an existing team and walk with them. Check in at the Risman Plaza/Student Green on the Kent Campus between 3 and 4 p.m. If you cannot join the walk, please consider making a donation.
For complete details, including registration and donation information, visit http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=3092 or contact Frank Sansosti, Ph.D., associate professor in Kent State’s College of Education, Health and Human Services, at 330-672-0059 or fsansost@kent.edu.