The fourth annual Out of the Darkness Campus Walk for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will be held on Saturday, March 24, at 11 a.m. in Spadoni Park at Coastal Carolina University. The walk is open to the public to participate, and advance registration is online.

The Out of the Darkness walk supports survivors of suicide, those who have lost loved ones, and those who are struggling with depression or mental illness. All donations go to the AFSP.

"Last year, we made our goal $6,000 and raised a total of $9,600, so this year our goal is $10,000," said Chris Donevant-Haines, assistant director of the LiveWell Office at CCU. By March 19, more than $10,800 had been raised, more than 240 walkers were registered to participate, and there were 27 teams registered compared to last year's 18.

The CCU Counseling Services and the Students Helping Others Reach Excellence (SHORE) team host the walk each year. This year, the LiveWell Office will also sponsor the event. The Lighthouse Behavioral Health Hospital and Beachside Electrical Design LLC are serving as the first corporate sponsors for the walk.

Junior Brooke Moen, a psychology major and SHORE co-coordinator, says it is warming to see a community of people genuinely interested in helping others.

"As someone who has lost a loved one to suicide, it is therapeutic to me to be surrounded by hundreds of people who understand how it feels to go through that loss or who struggle themselves," said Moen.

"It's important to get people talking about these issues, and this is one way that we can educate and start a conversation," said Donevant-Haines.

Many people who have thoughts of suicide experience a treatable mental health condition, according to the AFSP. The Out of the Darkness walk aims to highlight the fact that there are treatment options.

Shoreline Behavioral Health and CCU's Department of Public Safety will also offer a drop-off box for prescription drugs at the event to limit access to means of suicide.

Participants may choose to walk individually or start their own team. The team that raises the most money will get to carry the Out of the Darkness banner at the front of the walk.

The campus walk begins after an Honor Bead Ceremony. Participants receive colored beaded necklaces to represent different experiences with suicide.

The colors of the beads have specific meanings:

- White - the loss of a child

- Red - the loss of a spouse or partner

- Gold - the loss of a parent

- Orange - the loss of a sibling

- Purple - the loss of a relative or friend

- Silver - the loss of a first responder/military

- Green - a personal struggle or attempt

- Blue - support of suicide prevention

- Teal - a friend or family member of someone who struggles with suicide or has attempted

The walk is expected to last approximately 45 minutes. After the walk concludes, the participants will return to Spadoni Park for a closing ceremony.

The teams consist of different CCU organizations, such as the National Society of Leadership and Success, several Greek organizations and SHORE, as well as local teams from Carolina Forest High School and individual families who wish to remember their lost loved ones.

Spadoni Park is located in front of Wheelwright Auditorium at 108 Spadoni Park Circle on the Conway campus. Parking is available in lots E and MM; visit coastal.edu/safety/parking.

To register for the Out of the Darkness Walk, visit afsp.org/coastal. For more information about the walk and registration, contact Donevant-Haines at 843-349-5022 or cdhaines@coastal.edu.

Social media:

Twitter: @LiveWellCCU

YouTube: Watch a video from the inaugural Out of the Darkness Walk in 2015 here.