A UNA honors society partnered with a national volunteer organization to host a suicide awarness event on April 12.
The Alabama Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention partnered with the Phi Alpha Honor Society to host the “Out of the Darkness Campus Walk: Hope Walks Here”
This year’s event was the fourth year of Phi Alpha’s involvement with the awareness event. It began after the Department of Social Work lost a student of their own to suicide and students within the society wanted to find a way to advocate for suicide awarness.
AFSP’s mission is to “save lives” and “bring hope” to communities affected by suicide through outreach, educational programs and research. In the state of Alabama alone, there were 869 deaths by suicide reported in 2023, which is the most recent confirmed report.
As listed on the official AFSP website, these walks are the “signature student fundraising series, designed to engage youth and young adults in the fight to prevent suicide, the third leading cause of death among people ages 15-24. With your efforts, walking and fundraising, you are helping make suicide prevention and mental health awareness a national priority.”
Participants registered for this particular campus walk on the official AFSP website, but they could also register in-person the day of the campus walk.
The Honor Bead Ceremony began shortly after all participants checked in. This ceremony is the most “moving part” of the walk, noted Alabama AFSP Board Member and Department of Social Work Lecturer Trinda Owens.
Each participant gathered colored beads at check-in to show their connection to the cause. Additionally, the colors helped participants identify others who understand their experience.
White beads referenced the loss of a child, red for the loss of a spouse/partner, gold for the loss of a parent, orange for the loss of a sibling, purple for the loss of a relative or friend, silver for the loss of a first responder/military personnel, green for a personal struggle or attempt, teal for supporting someone who struggles or has attempted, blue for supporting suicide prevention and rainbow for honoring the LGBTQ+ community.
Owens worked endlessly to promote and advocate for the event on social media, beginning weeks prior to the event.
“For over 35 years, I have worked with adolescents and young people in various capacities,” wrote Owens on a facebook post. “I know their struggles because I lived them. That experience is not something I am ashamed of, it is the reason I show up.”
A total of $11,702 were raised for the walk on April 12, with a total of 270 participants across 36 teams.
“It’s saying we are here with you. We’re going to walk beside you out here,” said Owens. “We’re with you recognizing that all these people out here, in some way, are tied together. This affects everybody.”
