VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The American Foundation of Suicide Prevention is pleased that we will host a Suicide Awareness walk known as the Out of the Darkness walk in the Valley City community on Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 2pm.

Valley City Out of the Darkness Co-Chair Mary Burchill said as part of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Community Walks, I will be walking on October 8th at VCSU, Lokken Stadium to promote the importance of suicide prevention. I won’t be walking alone. I will be joined by many who share my dedication. In 2022, over 570 Out of the Darkness Walks took place in communities and on campuses across the United States, (including Puerto Rico.) These walks were attended by over 186,500 dedicated people who share my passion.

Burchill said working in the mental health field as a licensed counselor I have seen daily how people are impacted by depression, suicidal thoughts, or the loss of loved ones from suicide. I have dedicated my time to educating others about suicide prevention and mental health. Our goal is to spread awareness of what is currently a leading cause of death in the U.S., and let others know they are not alone. Please help us ensure that mental health is looked upon with equal importance to physical health and continue to bring hope to those affected by suicide.

Join me in this walk. We need you, together we can stop suicide. To register for the walk, you can go to the following website: afsp.org/valleycity