ASU holds second annual Out of the Darkness Campus Walk

March 23 marks the second annual Out of the Darkness Campus Walk at ASU’s Tempe campus to raise awareness about depression and suicide. Individuals and teams are invited to register for the walk at www.campuswalks.org.

The event will be held on Hayden Lawn and includes speakers, a brief commemorative ceremony and a 2.5 mile walk on campus to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to fund research and education programs to prevent suicide and to increase its awareness. Activities begin with registration at 8 a.m., followed by speakers at 9:30 a.m.

The keynote speaker will be David Covington, who serves as Vice President of Magellan Health Services of Arizona, chairs the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Steering Committee and co-leads the Clinical Care & Intervention Task Force of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. Covington was recently featured on the Pat McMahon show discussing the high rate of suicide within the military community. 

The Campus Walk will begin at 10 a.m. At noon, following the completion of the walk, Daniel Schulte with the Arizona Psychological Foundation will present a talk, "Walking the Walk Every Day," at Discovery Hall, room 150. The talk will address the daily actions we can take to prevent suicide.

A light lunch will be provided at 11:30 a.m. on Hayden Lawn for participants registered for Schulte’s presentation. ASU students, faculty, staff and the greater Phoenix community are invited to participate in the walk as individuals, families and teams. 

For more information or to register for the Campus Walk visit:  www.campuswalks.org. For more information or to register for the Walking the Walk Every Day Arizona Psychological Foundation presentation, go to:  http://www.azpa.org/cde.cfm?event=404537. Contact wellness@asu.edu for information about the event.