September is suicide prevention month. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is supporting locally organized community walks around the country to raise awareness for the cause. Glenwood Springs is hosting the Western Slope walk on Saturday September 24.
Mason Hostadt with the Garfield County Suicide Prevention Coalition says the walk is an opportunity for people in the community impacted by suicide to get community support.
"It's really I hope a place where somebody can come if they have lost a loved one to suicide, come and feel seen. If you are dealing with your own suicidality, come and feel seen. If you are a friend or a loved one, come and feel seen. That's really what it's about, it's about being noticed, knowing that you have a community and raising awareness and having some hope," said Hostadt.
Travis Wilson, also with Garfield County Suicide Prevention Coalition, says attending last year's walk showed him how important it was for the community to gather together for this issue.
"The people that were there, they were just happy to see each other, to know that there's a community behind them, to know that hey there are people here who have been through something similar to what I've been through and it makes me feel better," he said.
The Out of the Darkness Walk to raise awareness about suicide prevention begins at 10am on Saturday September 24 at the Glenwood Springs Community Center.
The walk does not require registration, although it does benefit their fundraising to do so.
A Memory Wall will be available for family and friends to post copies of photos of loved ones.
This story from KDNK was shared with Aspen Public Radio via Rocky Mountain Community Radio, a network of public media stations in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico including Aspen Public Radio.
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