On Sunday, April 15 at 1:00 pm, hundreds of people at Sidney Friedman Park at the 200th block on S. Fraser St. in downtown State College will take part in sixth annual Out of the Darkness Walk. Check-in time for the 5K walk is from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm.

This walk raises awareness for depression and suicide prevention. All monies raised will benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). AFSP’s mission is “dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide.” Some of the money raised will be used in Centre County to provide support for survivors, preventive programs, and to bring awareness to mental health issues.

Penn State and the Centre County community have combined their efforts to raise awareness of these problems and break down the social stigmas of these issues.

You can register for the walk at www.outofthedarkness.org or register the day of the walk. More information can be found on the event’s Facebook page.

About every minute, a suicide attempt is made. Time is too precious and life is too short to be passive about this growing problem.

So when you leave your dorm, apartment or house, don’t just walk for your schedule – walk for a purpose.

Note: A Collegian article published today cites 19 suicides at Penn State in the past 4 years.