NASHVILLE, TN – AUGUST 17, 2017 – More than 1200 people from throughout Middle TN will choose beads that represent their personal struggle with depression or the type of suicide loss they have experienced at the Nashville Music Row Out of the Darkness Community Walk. The walk begins at 8:00 am, Saturday, September 16 at Owen Bradley Park at One Music Square E on famed Music Row. This fundraising walk supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s local and national programs and its bold goal to reduce the annual rate of suicide 20 percent by 2025. Music will be performed by David Wright. Speakers will be Elizabeth Huxley, who lost her son to suicide, and Sumer Anelli, who survived a suicide attempt. Both will share their stories of recovery and hope for those who struggle with depression. Register here for the Nashville Music Row walk at afsp.org/Nashville.
“Suicide affects one in five American families. I am wearing orange beads to honor my brother and walking to bring awareness to this leading cause of death and let people in the community know that they are not alone. There is help out there for those who live with a mental health condition and support for those who have lost a loved one to suicide,” said Josh Easler, Chairperson and Middle-TN Chapter Board member.
Out of the Darkness
The Nashville Walk is part of a national Out of the Darkness walk movement, consisting of Community Walks, Campus Walks and two Overnight walks each year. In 2016, AFSP hosted more than 500 Out of the Darkness Walks spanning all 50 states, uniting more than 240,000 walkers and raising millions for suicide prevention research, education and advocacy.
Proceeds from the walks support local programs such as Talk Saves Lives, an educational presentation on how to recognize the risk factors and warning signs of suicide, and a new film entitled “It’s Real: College Students and Mental Health” that launched this spring. Through fundraising at the walks and other community and national events, AFSP has been able to fund 552 research grants totaling over $34 million dollars since 1987.
“These walks are about turning hope into action,” said AFSP CEO Robert Gebbia. “Suicide is a serious problem, but it’s a problem we can solve. The research has shown us how to fight suicide, and if we keep up the fight the science is only going to get better, our culture will get smarter about mental health, and we’ll be able to save more people from dying from depression and other mental health conditions.”
Sponsors
Local AFSP sponsors for the Nashville Out of the Darkness Community Walk include Lightening 100, UL, TN Roof Company, Wells Fargo, 12 Point Signworks, Agency33, Sieveking Plastic Surgery, 3rdPower Amplification, Nationwide – The Wright Agency, Wags and Whiskers, Your Heart On Art, Waste Management, Keller Williams Realty-Franklin/Nashville, Fifth Third Bank, Waste Management, EPM Wealth Management, The Law Offices of Ben M Rose, Renewed (Eating Disorder Support Group), Integrative Family Medicine, Jonathans Grille, and Lamar Advertising.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, and with a public policy office in Washington, D.C., AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide. AFSP celebrates 30 years of service to the suicide prevention movement. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Contacts:
AFSP: Kat Cloud, TN Regional Director, kcloud@afsp.org, 615-393-4742
Media: Joey Amato, Agency33, joey@agency33pr.com, 407-496-8751
Corporate Sponsorship: Kathy Squires, katsqu@gmail.com, 615-405-9791
