Rowan holds 3rd annual Out of the Darkness suicide prevention walk

Rowan University partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) April 25 for Rowan’s third annual Out of the Darkness suicide prevention walk.

Like much human interaction this spring, the program was held online and webcast via Zoom. Viewers were encouraged to take a walk or participate in activities to honor loved ones affected by suicide which, according to the AFSP, remains the 10^th leading cause of death in the U.S.

Statistics reported on the AFSP website from 2017, the most recent available, indicate that 129 Americans take their life each day on average and that white males account for roughly 70 percent of suicides.

The Rowan campus walk, organized each year by the office of Healthy Campus Initiatives within the Wellness Center, was held virtually in 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak but it involved 30 registered teams and raised more than $13,000 for suicide prevention measures and programming.

Rowan holds the walk each year in part to lessen the stigma of talking about suicide and suicidal thoughts because research shows that talking through difficulties can help diffuse feelings about them.

If you missed this year’s virtual Out of the Darkness walk, please see the program online.

Interested donors may contribute to this year’s Out of the Darkness suicide prevention program through June 30 at http://www.afsp.org/rowan​.