Letter to the Editor: Join me on suicide prevention walk 

Dear editor,

As part of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Community Walks, I will be walking on Sept. 27 at Battlefield City Park to promote the importance of suicide prevention.

I won’t be walking alone. I will be joined by many who share my dedication.

In 2024, 412 community walks took place in communities across the United States, attended by over 194,000 dedicated people who share my passion. Our movement is growing, and it is more important than ever. In 2023, 49,316 Americans died by suicide and an estimated 1.5 million people attempted suicide. Each loss of life is tragic, and everyone can get involved in preventing this leading cause of death.

Like many, I walk because suicide has affected me personally. In January 2021, I lost my nephew to suicide. He was a son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend and the valedictorian of his class in 2020. Since then, I have dedicated my time to educating others about suicide prevention and mental health or helping other loss survivors know they are not alone.

Our goal is to spread awareness of what is currently a leading cause of death in the U.S. and let others know they are not alone. Please help us ensure that mental health is given equal importance to that of physical health. Join me in this walk – let's bring hope to those affected by suicide. We need you – together we can stop suicide. More information can be found at AFSP.org/greenecounty.

–April Cox, Springfield