By reducing the stigma and talking about it, local students hope to be part of the solution to the suicide epidemic.
“Together, we are opening conversations about suicide. We are voicing our refusal to sweep this issue under the rug,” Bainbridge High School sophomore Mae Wysong said April 22 at the “Out of Darkness” community walk.
Near the entrance of Memorial Field on the BHS campus, student leaders of the class of 2025 and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention greeted participants wearing t-shirts that read “Hope Walks Here.” The sophomores were happy their efforts brought out more than 100 people and raised $11,000 for suicide prevention.
“Teenage attempt rates have increased in recent years, only exasperated by the pandemic,” Wysong continued. “Many of us have struggled under the weight of suicide, pushing up against a culture where conversations about this topic are often shrouded in stigma.”
Another student, Maia Greiwe said: “This walk is about remembrance and honoring those we have lost; it is dedicated to fostering hope for our future and supporting those who are still here. This time is meant to be an honest show of support for all those who have felt the touch of suicide.”
Theo Oestreich, another sophomore, said: “Today is also dedicated to a future where suicide does not exist. Because of your participation, we are building meaningful connections between those in need and those able to provide assistance.”
The student-led event began with poem readings and comments supporting suicide prevention before the community took to the track and made a two-mile loop around the neighborhood that ended at the front of BHS.
AFSP regional director Molly Lyons said AFSP is leading an initiative called Project 2025 to decrease the number of suicide rates nationally by 20% by 2025. It focuses on helping veterans, their spouses, corrections professionals and military personnel in Washington. “This is a huge epidemic,” Lyons said of suicide.
A significant portion of AFSP’s work is to normalize discussions about suicide by compassionately using phrases and storytelling. “We want people to know that there is hope. There is a way out of the darkness.”
AFSP is a voluntary health organization that aims to give those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education and advocacy to take action against the 12th leading cause of death, or more than 45,000 people. It’s part of a national effort to provide support through initiatives like healing conversations, peer support for suicide loss survivors and events nationwide like the one Saturday. Funding will go toward discovering better ways to prevent suicide and supporting research that shape prevention efforts worldwide.
AFSP is helping to educate and deliver a Suicide Prevention Program for schools, communities and workplaces. The organization also advocates for federal and state legislation, such as mandatory suicide prevention training for clinicians and educators, and provides funding for mental health resources.
A group of 20 people in bright blue t-shirts, named “Team Z,” traveled to the event from Tacoma in honor of their loved one, Azim St. Moreau, who died a year and a half ago. “He was part of our family. We just want to keep his spirit alive. We want to make sure that he’s remembered and that he knows we love him. We’re not going to forget him.”
Sophomores Theo Oestreich, Maia Greiwe and Mae Wysong look on as Alexandra Velisaris speaks to attendees before the walk began. Attendees wore colored beads to signify who they were walking for.
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A poem written by Isabell Gacioch was on display at the front of the school.
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