Preventing suicide and breaking down stereotypes about mental wellness were major goals of the second annual Light the Way for Hope Suicide Prevention Walk on Saturday at Emporia State University.
Hornets for Hope, Emporia State’s on-campus suicide prevention group, and Beacon for Hope Suicide Prevention co-organized the event. Ashleigh Burdorf has been involved in Hornets for Hope since the campus group began nearly three years ago. She was pleased to see the event grow from last year.
Burdorf struggled with thoughts of suicide throughout her teenage years after her mother died when she was 11, and she’s glad to see longstanding stigmas about suicide or mental wellness starting to come down.
The event featured a walk around campus, testimonials and a memory wall. Around 75 people pre-registered, above goal of 50.
For more information about suicide prevention, call Beacon for Hope at 208-9926 or go online to www.hopelinks.org. On campus, you can call 481-9251. The Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-8255, with more information online at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Photos by Chuck Samples/KVOE News
{gallery}Light the Way for Hope April 6 2019{/gallery}
