By Taylor Montford
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Losing a loved one to suicide or struggling with personal battles can often leave one feeling alone and discouraged. That is why “Out of the Darkness” walk, the largest walk in Maryland, is so special — allowing people of the community to join hands, and battle their pain, as one.
During Suicide Awareness Month in September, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention sponsored the 11th Annapolis Out of the Darkness walk at the Navy Marine Corps Memorial on Saturday, Sept. 21. With the collective efforts of more than 1,200 walkers, donors and sponsors, the organization was able to exceed its goal and raise $210,000 to further invest in new research, public policy, educational programs, and support survivors of suicide loss.
“Among all of you, whether you struggle with your mental health or loss of someone to suicide. Please know, you are not alone,” said Kat Olbrich, the Maryland and Delaware Area director for American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “This crowd shows that we are here for you.”
On average one person dies by suicide every 14 hours in the state of Maryland, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Kaitlyn Garlington, a suicide survivor and trans non-binary musician, walked to increase awareness among LGBTQIA+ youth.
“It breaks my heart,” Garlington said. “The LGBTQIA+ community has so many entities fighting it externally already, and mental illness and suicidal ideation, as well as self-harm, attacks from the inside.”
Teenagers walked among older and middle-aged walkers of many ethnicities and races. Participants wore beads to show others the reason they walked—white for the loss of a child, green for a personal struggle or suicide attempt, and gold for a parent.
Traci Withani, former chair of the walk, said the colors represented the diversity of the community’s connection to the movement.
“We are all wearing blue beads symbolizing our support of the cause,” Withani said. “We are united in our goal and determined to bring conversation about suicide out of the darkness and save lives.”
Walkers also wore “why I Walk” buttons with the names of who they were walking for. Some featured the name of a specific loved one, others walked for themselves.
Before the three-mile-walk around downtown Annapolis began, Withani presented the opening Honor Bead ceremony which introduced members of the community that struggle with loss and mental illness and allowed them to pay tribute. Friends, sisters, couples, wives, fathers, daughters and service members took turns walking up on the wooden stage to pour sand with their respected bead color in small vases. Participants in the ceremony linked arms, consoling each other when emotions became too hard to contain.
As the ceremony ended and as the walkers began their journey out of the stadium, Withani reminded the walkers of their reason for being there.
“Each of us has our own stories and our own reasons for being here,” Withani said. “We remember those reasons, and we share a symbol to keep them in our minds and in our hearts.”