Students and community members walk for suicide awareness last year.Members of Forest Park High School Class of 2016 will join with other students and community members in their Second Annual Suicide Awareness Walk, May 21.
The walk begins at 9 a.m. at Forest Park High School. Participants will walk from Forest Park to Hylton High School and back, a distance of six miles.
Forest Park Teacher Shannon Geraghty, who was instrumental in organizing the event, along with the senior class, explained the impact last year’s walk, which was attended by approximately 800 people.
“What struck me most was that the students’ efforts to de-stigmatize mental health saw immediate results. As we were walking on Spriggs Road, multiple cars and trucks stopped the students to thank them for bringing mental health into the light; some people were crying,” she said. “It was an incredibly moving and uplifting event.”
Along the route, walkers passed peaceful messages and statistics, and participants can wrote the names of loved one lost on a memory scroll.
According to Geraghty, at the end of the day last year, the memory scroll was completely full, a reminder of how many lives have been affected by suicide just within the Prince William County.
Forest Park seniors work on a banner for this Saturday's Suicide Awareness walk.The walk will also include information to help raise awareness and combat suicide, such as warning signs a friend might be contemplating suicide.
The event has even attracted the attention of policy-makers. Sen. Jermy McPike (D-VA 29th) will be the keynote speaker and Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA 11th) will also deliver a few remarks.
Members of various groups advocating suicide prevention and mental health support, such as Freeze Bullying for Peyton, plan to attend, and a crisis team will be present for those who need the support.
According to senior class spokesperson, Rose Horton, Forest Park students wanted to tackle the issue because in the United States a person dies by suicide every 13.7 minutes, and suicide claims more than 38,000 lives each year.
Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. among adults 18-65, and the second leading cause of death among teens and young adults.
The event can be cathartic for the community, but more importantly, will hopefully prevent future tragedies.
Geraghty is proud of her students for facing an issue head that until recently was largely kept in the shadows.
“As a teacher I am amazed at how open some students are about mental health; I just wish everyone felt as comfortable reaching out because no one should suffer alone,” she said.
The event will be held rain or shine. Participants are encouraged to bring their own signs or pictures. The event is free and open to everyone.
Water and breakfast bars will be served. People may walk or run the route.
Forest Park High School is located at 15721 Forest Park Drive, Woodbridge.
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