| Monday, April 4, 2016, Office of College AdvancementOhlone Takes Steps to Bring Suicide Out of the Darkness in 5K Walk
**For Immediate Release** Fremont, CA — Ohlone College’s sixth annual “Out of the Darkness Walk” takes place on April 13, 2016, sponsored by STEP Up Ohlone, in association with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). This year’s event, held on Ohlone’s Newark campus, brings students, faculty and community members together to shed light on suicide prevention efforts across the College. The annual 5K walk offers a chance for participants to make friends, meet allies, find emotional support, and build community. Funds are for vital research, education, advocacy, suicide prevention initiatives, and programs to support those impacted by suicide. “Thanks to events like this walk, we are beginning to make a dent in the way the Ohlone community thinks about mental health,” said Sally Bratton, Director of the Student Health Center. Bratton continued, “Out of the Darkness demonstrates that there is social support for those who struggle with depression and thoughts of suicide, and those with friends or family who are suffering.” Sang Leng Trieu, Project Director of STEP Up Ohlone said, “It’s a powerful thing to be part of something that is so positive and life affirming. Far too many of us know what it’s like to lose someone we love from suicide.” The walk’s original purpose on campus was to honor Ohlone staff member Stewart Dawson, who died by suicide in December 2010. Last year’s walk raised over $2,700 and brought together over 40 participants. The STEP Up Ohlone Program is funded by a three-year federal SAMHSA grant and works to promote student mental health and remove the stigma and prejudice around seeking treatment. Check-in for the Out of the Darkness 5K begins at 11:00 am on April 13, 2016, and the walk commences at 12:00 pm. To make a donation, for more information, or to register in advance, please visit http://www.ohlone.edu/go/campuswalk. ### |
