For the second consecutive year, Carrollton High School student Olivia Cranford and her mother, Becky, have teamed up with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to organize an Out of the Darkness Walk at Hobbs Farm in Carrollton on Oct. 30.
The second annual Out of the Darkness Walk is Oct. 30 at Hobbs Farm in Carrollton. Pictured are Carrollton High School students who participated in last year’s walk.
Olivia lost her brother, Dustin, to suicide in 2014.
“One of the worst parts of it was the complete shock that someone like him would do something like that,” said Cranford. “I became hyperaware of every mention or discussion around suicide and depression, I realized that there is this stigma around suicide and mental health in general that keeps us from facing the reality of it all.”
She wanted to do something to spread awareness in the community and help end the stigma surrounding suicide.
Out of the Darkness community walks are the center of the Out of the Darkness movement, which AFSP founded in 2004. The walks are held in hundreds of cities across the country.
“We want to raise money for AFSP to help them in their efforts in raising awareness, supporting survivors of suicide loss, conducting research on mental health issues, and funding advocacy work within the legal system,” said Olivia.
Last year, Olivia’s goal was to raise $20,000 in donations. Her goal was exceeded by nearly $15,000.
“This year, my goal is to raise $50,000 and so far, we have raised more than $43,000,” said Olivia. “I am so grateful for everyone who has donated and am looking forward to the walk this weekend.”
To register for the walk, visit https://bit.ly/outofthedarknesswalk22.
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