On Saturday, September 26, at 9:30 join other walkers, who have lost friends and family to suicide, at Crissy Field in San Francisco's Presidio to walk for hope, peace, and alternatives.
"It brings together all types of people with one devastating bond. They have all lost a loved one or friend to suicide. And there is nothing better when you are facing such a devastating loss than having someone REALLY know what you are going through!" K. Tindall
The Association for Suicide Prevention is holding its annual walk and you are invited. Registration and all details are available online at Out Of The Darkness Walk
You Are Not Alone A personal account by K. Tindall
“In the United States, a person dies by suicide every 16 minutes, claiming more than 32,000 lives each year. It is estimated that an attempt is made every minute; with close to one million people attempting suicide annually,” according to the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention.
A little over four years ago, like most people, I didn’t give Suicide a second thought. It carries with it a Stigma that no one wants to talk about or deal with.
My attitude changed drastically when my younger brother, just two months shy of his 21st birthday shot and killed himself! He was a statistic and I was left wondering how this could have happened.
I was devastated, heart broken, grief stricken. I could barely get out of bed. How could I go on? This was my little brother. Most people thought he could have been my son. How could I have let this happen? Why did it happen? These are all things the “survivor” of the Suicide asks but there are no real answers.
A relative found a “survivors of suicide” support group and I went, dragging my heels. The “survivors” sat in a huge circle and told our stories. First our names, then later, who we had lost. In time, we grew to be friends and were able to talk openly at that group like nowhere else. These people understood!
And that is when I found The AFSP’s Out Of The Darkness Walk and became involved with others who felt the exact things I was feeling. I walked in a few walks, including a 20 mile Overnight Walk in Seattle in 2008 and became The Walk Coordinator for The San Francisco Walk for 2008 and 2009."
San Francisco Walk Join us on September 26, 2009
Where: Crissy Field, San Francisco, California
Starts: 09/26/2009 @ 9:30am Ends: 12:00pm
Check-in Time: 8:30AM to 9:30AM
Registration Cutoff: 09/25/2009 11:45PM
Donation Cutoff: 12/31/2009 12:00AM
Contact: Karin Tindall Phone: 925-698-4112 E-mail Address: NorcalAFSP@aol.com
http://www.outofthedarkness.org
If you do not see a walk in your state or area and would like to organize a walk in your community, contact Mike Lamma, AFSP's Director of Field Management, at 1-888-333-AFSP (2377) Ext. 16, or mlamma@afsp.org. Please include your location if you are contacting by email.
About the author: Stephanie Atwood, M.A., AAAI/ISMA, RRCA is a nationally certified long distance running coach, personal trainer, and founder of The WOW Team, a women's running and walking group in the Greater Bay Area. The WOW Team meets throughout the Bay Area, several times each week. Drop-ins are encouraged. Go to http://gowowteam.com, http://meetup.com/gowowteam or contact her at satwoodok@yahoo.com
DEPRESSION CAN BE TREATED. SUICIDE CAN BE PREVENTED, WALKING CAN HELP
Walk with other women: Need a group to help you get out of that funk?? Join us! We walk or run for physical fitness and mental health. Coach Stephanie's dream is to offer safe and social walking and running to women, throughout the world.
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