Students will raise money and walk for suicide awareness and prevention this weekend.
Ball State's chapter of the Alive Campaign and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will sponsor the first "Out of the Darkness" campus walk on April 2 from 12-2 p.m.
Nick Hewitt, former executive director of Ball State's chapter of the Alive Campaign, said they are encouraging more students to join the walk, but the 91 students that already signed up exceeded his expectations.
"Well, honestly if we have 5 people show up, it'd be a success," he said. "The whole goal is to get people to look at this issue and learn a little bit more about it. There really is no way we can fail if any people show up."
Freshman psychology major Chloe Brattain was the reason AFSP joined Ball State for their first campus walk, Hewitt said.
When Brattain was a freshman in high school, her 19-year-old brother committed suicide. Brattain's stepmother has since become the chair for Indiana's chapter of AFSP.
Brattain said she didn't know a suicide prevention and awareness group existed on campus until To Write Love On Her Arms founder Jamie Tworkowski came to Ball State. She said once she knew there was an organization with other people fighting against suicide, she knew she wanted to do a walk to raise money at Ball State.
"That was when we solidified the idea [and] when we thought this could be a reality," she said. "It inspired me to go ahead and say, ‘Yes. We are going to do this, and it is going to work out.'"
More than 34,000 people commit suicide each year, according to the AFSP website.
Brattain said the "Out of the Darkness" walk is about breaking stereotypes many have about suicide.
"I think the stigma that depression isn't a real disease, and that people with it are weak, needs to be broken," she said. "It is a disease like any other."
Students can participate either as teams or as individuals. Those wanting to join don't have to pay money, but it is encouraged to raise funds for AFSP.
Brattain said so far more than $2,762 have been raised. The walk will last about two hours.
Students can sign up online at campuswalks.org by Friday, April 1. Those who would rather sign up in person can register starting at 11 a.m. on April 2 on the Atrium patio where the walk will begin.
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