Volunteers Plan Out of the Darkness Community Walk

Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, resulting in the deaths of 48,183 Americans in 2021. To draw attention to the fight for suicide prevention, volunteers from Blair County will be uniting with more than a quarter of a million people who are participating in walks across the nation in September.

The 13th annual Blair County Out of the Darkness Community Walk, hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Eastern PA Chapter and the Blair County Suicide Prevention Task Force, will be held at Lakemont Park on Sunday, September 10. Check-in and pre-walk activities, such as participating in remembrance crafts and supporting local food vendors, will begin at 9:30 am. The walk will occur from 11 am-12 pm. Rob Z will be the MC for the event, and Micah McConnell will be the DJ.

A dedication for hope memorial will be displayed in recognition of the individuals who died by suicide. If you would like to commemorate your significant person in a special way, please email the person’s name and photo to blaircountysptf@gmail.com by Aug. 28 at 5 p.m.

“There is one death by suicide every 11 minutes,” said Cindy James, chairperson for the Blair County Out of the Darkness Community Walk committee. “This is an alarming statistic. Our ultimate goal is to change the statistics by saving lives and bringing hope to those who have been affected by suicide.”

This walk supports the AFSP’s education and support programs, as well as its bold goal to reduce the national rate of suicide by 20 percent by the year 2025.

“These walks are about turning hope into action,” said AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia. “The research has shown us how to fight suicide, and if we keep up the fight, the science is only going to get better, and our culture will get smarter about mental health. With the efforts of our courageous volunteers and a real investment from our nation’s leaders, we hope to significantly reduce the suicide rate in the United States.”

As of August 2023, local sponsors for the Blair County Out of the Darkness Community Walk include Blair Family Solutions, Nulton Diagnostic & Treatment Center, Adam Zook Memorial Fund, Blair County System of Care, Cove Forge Behavioral Health System, Peerstar LLC, Pyramid Healthcare, Balfurd’s, CONTACT Altoona, Community Care Behavioral Health, The Meadows Psychiatric Center, UPMC Western Behavioral Health of the Alleghenies (WBHA), White Deer Run Treatment Center, CenClear, NAMI Blair County PA, Falon’s Sprinkle Kindness Inc., and Clarion Psychiatric Center.

To register as an individual or team for the walk, become a sponsor, or find more information, please visit afsp.org/blair. The committee is also seeking additional members to help plan the event. If interested in volunteering or setting up an information/vendor table, please email blaircountysptf@gmail.com.