Liberty hosts Out of the Darkness Walk for suicide prevention

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people ages 15-24. On Saturday, Liberty University’s Student Health Center and Wellness Initiatives office hosted an Out of the Darkness Walk to help students and members of the local community discuss, remember, and heal from the effects of suicide.

Out of the Darkness Walks are held across the country to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

“There is a need to have some educational prevention for this age group in addition to trying to bring us all together and take away the stigma of talking about it,” said Natalie Peyton, senior associate director of Health and Wellness. “Coming together as a community to prevent it but also support one another and support those who are struggling is so important. Knowing how to talk to someone who is struggling, knowing how to identify somebody who’s struggling, these are things that we hopefully will bring to the community.”

Over 300 participated in Liberty’s walk and surpassed the fundraising goal of $5,000 by collecting $9,111 by Saturday afternoon. Money was collected through the registration website and at the walk.

Participants selected beaded necklaces to wear, with each color designating his or her connection to the issue of suicide. Some wore teal as the color for someone who is currently struggling, others wore gold for the loss of a parent, red for the loss of a spouse/partner, white for the loss of a child, or green as a survivor of thoughts or attempts themselves.

The walk was an approximately 1-mile loop around main campus. Various tables were set up along the route with resources for suicide prevention, opportunities to share and receive meaningful Bible verses, and prompts for reflection.

Prior to the walk, there was a short gathering to set the tone for the morning. Liberty sophomore Kristen Lay, who originally approached Peyton with the idea for a walk, was the opening speaker. Lay shared that suicide has affected her in multiple ways: the death of her uncle a few years ago and her own season of depression that she said God was able to pull her from.

“By standing here today, you’re sending a message that no one is alone,” she told those gathered. “You’re showing that reaching out for help is a strong thing to do. You’re showing others that there’s hope in this world, that death has been defeated, and nothing can stand against our God. Suicide is a health issue that affects all of us. You’re not just walking alongside the others you see beside you today. You’re also walking alongside nearly a quarter of a million people across the country walking to fight suicide.”

When she had the idea of starting the walk on Liberty’s campus, Lay said she was unsure of how big the impact and attendance could be, but she said Saturday was a testament to how vital the university and local community see the issue of suicide awareness.

“When I reached out… I really thought this walk was going to be a long shot,” she said. “One thought that went through my head was, ‘How can one voice out of 15,000 (residential) students really make a difference for this?’ Apparently, I was wrong.”

Dr. Louis Alvey, a counselor for Liberty’s Counseling and Psychological Services office, reminded students that the office is located in Green Hall (GH 1830) for those who are seeking help.

“You all are taking time out of your weekends and your lives to say this is important,” Alvey said. “We’re going to educate our community, and we’re going to tear down the walls and stigma that keeps so many people from reaching out and getting the help that they need. I’m very excited about what this day means for us today as a Liberty University family, what this will mean in the years to come for our community here on campus, and the lives that are going to be positively impacted by what you all are doing today.”

Sophomore Tanner Simoneaux has participated in annual Out of the Darkness walks back home in recognition of his uncle, and he was appreciative to see one established on campus.

“These are great events that build a sense of community and allow people to talk about these things,” Simoneaux said. “As Christians, we’re supposed to be building each other up and pointing one another toward Christ, and doing all of this is a part of that.”

Adding to that idea, freshman Sam Ross said having events like this on a Christian campus is an opportunity to remind students encountering suicidal ideation of their worth as God’s creation.

“God created everyone in His image, and that relationship with Him is what gives our life value, so I want to point people to that,” Ross said. “Whatever people may be thinking about themselves, God created (us) to live for Him.”

Peyton noted that Liberty Athletics has been eager to support an event of this type in the year since the death of Flames Football player Tajh Boyd, and athletes from football and multiple other teams walked on Saturday. Sophomores Ella Kahn and Eden Troxell from the women’s swimming & diving team said Liberty’s effort to host an Out of the Darkness walk shows that the school recognizes students’ struggles in this way and wants to openly address it.

“This shows that Liberty cares so much about this issue and puts an emphasis on individuals’ health. They want to create a space for us to feel open to share,” Kahn said.

“It says a lot that they want to talk about mental health, which can be a taboo subject, and that shows that they care,” Troxell added.

While many cities have held Out of the Darkness Walks, Peyton believes James Madison University and William & Mary are the only other universities in the Commonwealth to hold the event on their campus. One of the initiatives of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is to bring more walks onto university campuses.

Those who still wish to contribute to the Out of the Darkness Walk fundraiser can do so through the donation link.