Every year, 42,773 Americans die by suicide and there are 117 suicides on average every day, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. And with each day that passes, organizations like Stand Against Suicide make strong efforts to remember those who make up these statistics.

Stand Against Suicide will be conducting its 5th annual Take A Stand, Save a Life Community Walk this Saturday.

“It’s a safe place for people to go that have lost loved ones to suicide, have had people they know or love be affected by any mental illness, or themselves suffer from mental illness,” said Dory Curry, the vice president of Stand Against Suicide.

Curry works in organizing and promoting Stand Against Suicide’s events, and also leads support groups. She said she has suffered with depression and anxiety for over thirty years. When Stand Against Suicide entered her life, she met “a wonderful group of people.”

“It was a challenge from my counselor at one point, and then it just became what I needed to do,” said Curry.

Serving as a collective and healing means of dealing with loss and feelings of suicide, the organization and its volunteers put on several events during the walk. None of its volunteers are paid: the work is simply fueled by the need to commemorate.

The walk clears a ready path for anybody who wants to volunteer to help or participate; registering is easy and the organization doesn’t probe. Curry said people usually just show up and register. There will also be tunes to listen to while walking: the DJ playing for the event this year was once a volunteer.

Last year’s walk — the organization’s biggest yet —had a turn out of about 250 for a day of remembrance activities, and hopes are set along the same lines for this year.

The volunteers on Saturday morning will meet and interact for a couple of hours, and then complete the walk, where they will gather for a couple of minutes and hold up a sign to raise awareness, and then walk back.

Denise Curry, a volunteer for Stand Against Suicide, and Dory Curry’s mother, said the event will include raffle tables, music, small snacks and some guest speakers. In addition, she said the organization plans to play remembrance songs throughout the walk and release balloons at the end. Denise comes out every year not just for her daughter, but all others that may be affected.

“My mother volunteers because she sees what I do and she wants to help,” said Dory.

Denise Curry helps the organization — and her daughter in the process — with sponsors and donations, and she has been by Dory’s side since the 4th Annual Stand Against Suicide Community Walk in September.

The balloon release will have volunteers write messages on them with markers and free them, representing a flying letter to their loved ones.

Unfortunately, this walk will be the last for the organization.

SAS will not be taking any donations or hold any fundraising this year. This is in part due to the disbanding of the organization following this year, since SAS has been a purely nonprofit organization, and it is facing a decrease in volunteers who are willing to work without payment for 30 hours a week.

One thing Dory said she will take away from the last walk will be getting to spend the morning with the SAS family.

“We have a new family now: the people that we’ve helped and reached out to … it’s a family event, because we’re all family now,” said Dory.

However, Dory doesn’t show any intention of taking away the support SAS has built over the years. She said the groups are a way for them of “continuing to get together,” and will continue to host support groups.

Raising awareness about suicidal feelings and mental illness will be the primary focus of the SAS Community Walk this year. Just as crucial as funding, awareness is increasingly a major weapon in the battle against mental illness.

The SU campus is also striving to become an active participant in the fight against mental illness, and on-campus groups like Active Minds are built around raising awareness and reducing stigma about mental health.

“We try to have different ways to educate people, like one, you’re not alone, it’s okay to have this and here’s where you can get help for it,” said Jenesis Gayden, a junior psychology and neuroscience major and member of Active Minds.

The student organization focuses on available resources like the Counseling Center.

Building knowledge around mental health and fostering strong community awareness, events like Stand Against Suicide Community Walk and groups like Active Minds have taken steps to beat the statistics and eventually win the battle against mental health illness.

Published on September 28, 2016 at 9:35 pm

Contact: dmurthy@syr.edu