To the Editor:
(Chittenango, NY- Nov. 2013) The first annual American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) “Out of the Darkness Walk” was held at Jim Marshall Farms in Chittenango on Saturday, Oct. 19. Together, with the help of the AFSP, the Madison County Suicide Coalition and community members, we raised $9,687.40, almost reaching our goal of $10,000. All funds raised by the walk will go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and will be used for suicide education and prevention programs and awareness in our community.
A total of 170 walkers and 18 teams came out to join the AFSP on a cool October morning to walk a total of 3 miles to help raise awareness for suicide prevention in Madison County. Most of the participants walked in memory of someone they lost to suicide.
Before the walk, participants were asked the name(s) of the individual(s) they were walking for, whose names were then announced at the beginning of the walk to commemorate those folks who had died by suicide. The amount of participation from the community was “humbling” as some stated, to see how many people in Madison County took the time to come out and support a great cause on a beautiful Autumn day.
We wanted to thank all the adult and teen volunteers for all of their time and hard work. A huge, thank you to our sponsors; Thompson Appliance and Furniture, Dunkin Donuts, Kinney Drugs, JK Automotive, Wilbur Duck Chevrolet Inc., Zem’s Ice Cream, JOA’s Pizza, Price Chopper, Hi-Way Bowl, Tri-Valley Y, Wal-Mart, John Marsala, Sharon Thannhaouser, Becky Lewin and Jim Marshall for all of their generous donations that really helped make this day a success. Together we can make a difference!
Donations to the AFSP Madison County Out of the Darkness Walk will continue to be accepted until Jan. 1, 2014. To donate please go to; http://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=2415.
Also, on Saturday, November 23, 2013 the AFSP International Survivors of Suicide Day will take place at BRiDGES on Route 5 in Canastota. If you have lost someone to suicide please join us. For more information about International Survivors of Suicide Day or Suicide Prevention in Madison County, please contact Lisa Griffith at lgriffith026@gmail.com.
Lisa Griffith, Intern at BRiDGES