ANN ARBOR, MI - Every 18 minutes in the United States, a life is lost to suicide. The current national focus on the potential risks and benefits of antidepressant medications is raising Americans' awareness of the dark reality faced by many children, teens and adults who grapple with depression and suicidal thoughts every day. Anyone who has ever lost a loved one to suicide knows that effective help for depression can sometimes be hard to find.

To raise awareness of the complex issues related to depression, its link to suicide and to fight the stigma attached to it, join the fourth annual Out of the Darkness walk, at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Sponsored by the University of Michigan Depression Center and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the walk is one of four in Michigan scheduled this year. The walk is open to anyone.

In addition to a 3.5-mile walk through Ann Arbor streets and the U-M campus, the event will feature live music, a bake sale, clowns doing face painting and an education tent with reading materials and brochures about depression, mental illness, suicide and other related topics.

“Early detection and treatment of depression can prevent suicide,” says walk co-organizer Tammy Landry, of the Ann Arbor Chapter of AFSP. “We can't afford to lose another life, or to let people suffer in darkness because they don't recognize or can't get adequate help for their depression. We need to bring this important health issue out of the darkness and into the light.”

Registration for the walk begins at 9 a.m. at Pioneer High School, on the corner of South Main St. and West Stadium Blvd. The walk begins at 10 a.m. Strollers and dogs on leashes are welcome.

Walkers are encouraged to collect donations; registration is free. Prizes will be awarded to those who raise $150 or more. Advance registration is available online at www.outofthedarkness.org. For more information or to volunteer, e-mail tlandry@afsp.org.

Proceeds from the walk will fund depression education and suicide prevention programs in the community, including free support groups and a workshop series for families.

Written by Jessica Soulliere

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