Participants choose honor beads in the color that symbolizes their connection to a cause before the walk starts on Saturday at Baldwin Park.
Claudia Leon
Students and community members came together on Saturday at Baldwin Park for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention’s annual Out of the Darkness Walk in Orlando, aiming to honor lives lost, raise awareness and inform the public on mental health resources.
Members of HOPE@UCF, a student-led organization with the goal of creating mental health advocates in the community, joined and participated in the walk. The organization continues efforts to destigmatize conversations about mental health and advocate for suicide prevention among college students.
Seva Reilly, a third-year social work master’s student and president and co-founder of HOPE@UCF, participated in the event, reflecting the organization’s commitment to collective action through outreach and service.
“HOPE partners with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention through their advocacy and fundraising efforts,” Reilly said. “The Orlando walk was a great way for us to stand in support of suicide prevention, education and advocacy while bringing HOPE members together.”
Before the walk started, participants were encouraged to visit the Honor Beads station, where they could grab beads of different colors that represent personal experiences with suicide prevention and mental health. There was also a bubble ceremony as a moment of remembrance and reflection for those lost to suicide.
Members of the community blow bubbles to honor lives lost to suicide at the bubble release ceremony before the walk begins at Baldwin Park on Saturday.
Claudia Leon
Many students saw the walk as a personal and communal experience. Cassidy Chergi, senior clinical psychology major, said she participated in the walk to see different people from different walks of life come together for the cause.
“Anything that supports suicide prevention is always a good thing,” Chergi said. “I wanted to be involved in some way.”
Chergi added that the walk highlights an ongoing collective effort for suicide prevention advocacy.
The event also introduced some attendees to these efforts. Zipporah Lichoro, junior information technology major, said she attended after finding out the purpose of the walk.
“I’ve had my own mental health struggles and I also have friends who struggle, so it felt like a full-circle moment,” Lichoro said. “I didn’t even know there was something like a suicide prevention walk before this.”
Lichoro said the walk helps create consciousness about different mental health resources and further crisis support.
“It raises awareness for depression and anxiety, which can lead to suicidal ideation,” Lichoro said. “It was really powerful to see people sharing their stories and resources. I didn’t know about things like the crisis call lines before, and if find someone who’s struggling, they could maybe call those numbers or get help.”
The visuals and displays throughout the walk and park honoring loved ones also left an impression.
Attendees draw with chalk along a path in Baldwin Park, writing uplifting and positive messages at the suicide prevention walk on Saturday.
Claudia Leon
“It was heartbreaking but also really powerful,” Lichoro said. “It shows how many people are affected by this and how much quiet resilience there is in the community.”
The walk also held a personal meaning for Janette Wilkerson, a senior psychology major on the clinical track. Wilkerson said she volunteered at the UCF Out of the Darkness campus walk last year and later joined the planning committee for this year’s student-led campus event.
“I also lost a loved one this past holiday season to suicide, so this topic holds more importance to me,” Wilkerson said. “It’s about creating a space for those who are struggling, those who have lost loved ones and reminding people that they’re enough and that they’re not alone.”
Participating in the walk for her was described as “bittersweet,” but uplifting in the end.
“The community and students coming together reminds me there are still good people in the world who genuinely care,” she said.
Rilley added that events like the Out of the Darkness Walk help supplement the programming that HOPE has on campus by reminding these students that there is a bigger advocacy network.
“These events remind students that there’s an entire community advocating for mental health access and suicide prevention,” Reilly said. “It’s really meaningful to get out into the community and see how many different groups have a stake in this work.”
Other student organizations that attended the event included Active Minds UCF and Psi Chi, where mental health awareness and psychological advocacy on campus are a main focus.
Those who are interested in becoming involved in the efforts of suicide prevention have the chance to attend this year’s Out of the Darkness Campus Walk at Memory Mall on March 28. This event will build on what was highlighted during the Orlando walk-through promotion of mental health awareness, campus-based resources of support and suicide prevention education.
Signs with hopeful messages and photos of lost loved ones are placed around the path of the trail at Lake Baldwin Park at a suicide prevention walk Saturday.
Claudia Leon
“College can be really isolating,” Chergi said. “Having a community like this gives you a sense of connection and a sense of voice.”
Wilkerson said she hopes individuals who see the walk understand its message beyond just the event itself.
“I hope people see the effort to break the stigma behind mental health and recognize that there is support,” Wilkerson added. “There’s a better way, and it’s going to be okay.”