PITTSFIELD — “Suicide affects not just the individual, but their family, their friends, their loved ones,” Shawn Mille, chair of this year’s Berkshire County Out of Darkness Community Walk, said at the event Saturday morning at The Common.
The walk saw approximately 200 community members complete a mile loop through downtown Pittsfield. It was the first Out of Darkness walk held in the state this year.
The walks, organized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, are held across the country each year during Suicide Prevention Month, a campaign focused on breaking the stigma around suicide and equipping people with the resources to navigate suicidal ideation.
A participant raises their hand, acknowledging that they are wearing green beads, which represent a personal struggle with suicidal ideation.
Claire O’Callahan — The Berkshire Eagle
Each year, the walks raise millions of dollars for suicide prevention. In 2023, the Berkshire County walk raised $40,000. They’re on track to meet that number again this year, said Jessica van der Stad, the executive director of the AFSP’s Massachusetts chapter.
The walk welcomed anyone whose life has been touched by suicide — those who struggle with suicidal ideation themselves and those who have lost a loved one to suicide.
Participants donned colored beads and filled out name badges to pay homage to who they walked for.
A young participant selects the beads they will wear during this year’s Out of Darkness Walk.
Claire O’Callahan — The Berkshire Eagle
Some wore gold, representing the loss of a parent. Some wore green, representing a personal struggle with suicide. Some wore white, representing the loss of a child.
Many wore multiple strands of beads around their necks.
“Each of us has our own story. Each of us have been affected by suicide in some way,” Mille told participants before the walk began. “I just want to recognize that we are honoring our loved ones who[m] we have lost from many different organizations, parents, children, neighbors.”
Mille organized this year’s walk with the goal of tailoring it to meet the people of Berkshire County.
“Thinking about how I love Berkshire County, I don’t want to think that some of our community members aren’t going to be part of the community because they feel like there isn’t anywhere to turn to,” Mille said.
Participants wearing white beads raise their hands, acknowledging a child who died of suicide.
Claire O’Callahan — The Berkshire Eagle
Part of tailoring the national movement to the Berkshires was also about connecting with local nonprofits, many of whom tabled at The Common on Saturday, Mille said.
Among them were Love of T, Berkshire Pride, Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention and Arts in Recovery for Youth.
Luke Fitzgerald founded Love of T three years ago, after his mother, Teresa, died of suicide. The foundation offers peer support to people struggling with ideation.
A mother places beads around her son’s neck at Pittsfield’s Out of Darkness Walk.
Claire O’Callahan — The Berkshire Eagle
“It’s just about meeting people on a human level in a loving way. It’s not a clinical or psychiatric type of care,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s peer support, people that have been there and understand what people are going through and are able to just be an ear.”
Berkshire Pride offers a certification training for individuals interested in learning how to use and respect people’s pronouns, and understand mental health challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth.
“We don’t certify organizations, we certify people,” said Cass Santos-China. “And then wherever they go, they make safe spaces.”
Organizations and businesses that were unable to table on Saturday sponsored the walk or contributed to the fundraiser and raffle, Mille said.
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Publish date : 2024-09-07 07:31:00
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