‘Out of the Darkness’ walk attracts students, community members

It was a cold and foggy morning as members from the community, students, faculty, and loved ones affected by suicide joined together Saturday. They participated in the “Out of Darkness” walk beginning in Wilson Park to help raise funds for vital research and gain awareness about suicide prevention.

Among the participants were suicide survivors, supportive family members, and friends. Many students were interested in bringing awareness to our community.

This event brought out Amy Lewansowski and her family from Callaway, as she remembered her nephew, a suicide victim. “It’s great and we’re excited to be here,” Lewansowski said.

Western Community Health Resources organized this walk to bring people affected by suicide together and to provide support to one another.

This walk touched close to home with workers of WCHR as some have been affected by suicide on a personal level. Two Chadron residents and workers of WCHR held their heads high as they walked in remembrance of family members lost to suicide as well as being suicide survivors themselves.

“Out of Darkness” walks are nationwide, reaching out not only to communities, but college campuses everywhere. Suicide takes many lives every day and the numbers keep increasing. Every donation makes a difference in furthering research and raising awareness to hundreds of thousands of people across the country.

The money raised from these walks supports continued research surrounding depression and other mental disorders. Saturday’s walkers took each step in honor of those lost to suicide in hope to save lives.