Nearly 1,000 gather to raise awareness for suicide

Walkers with the Colin’s Clan group lead on Sunday during the 3rd annual Northwest Arkansas Out of the Darkness Community Walk at Orchards Park in Bentonville.
Walkers with the Colin’s Clan group lead on Sunday during the 3rd annual Northwest Arkansas Out of the Darkness Community Walk at Orchards Park in Bentonville.

BENTONVILLE -- Some walked for "mom" while others walked for their "BFF," but everyone at Saturday's Out of the Darkness Walk shared the same mission: putting an end to suicide.

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Walkers pass a display of 20 pairs of military boots Sunday during the 3rd annual Northwest Arkansas Out of the Darkness Community Walk at Orchards Park in Bentonville. The display represents the national average of 20 U.S. military veterans who take their own lives each day, according to Nikki Nance, co-chair of the walk.

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Emily Marie Rogers (from right) and her mother Cindy Lee Rogers of Springdale join other walkers in a balloon release Sunday in memory of loved ones lost to suicide during the 3rd annual Northwest Arkansas Out of the Darkness Community Walk at Orchards Park in Bentonville.

The third annual event drew nearly 1,000 people to Orchards Park and raised $36,000, surpassing both attendance and fundraising expectations, said Marcey Ball, organizer of this year's walk.

On the web

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention was founded in 1987 to establish a private source of support for suicide research and education. The organization has chapters in all 50 states. To get involved with the Arkansas chapter, visit the group’s website at https://afsp.org/ch….

Source: Staff report

"I'm just speechless to see this many people touched by suicide," Ball said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in 2013. The agency also reported roughly 113 suicides every day for 2013.

The suicide rates for veterans are even more stark, with roughly 20 per day taking their lives, Ball said.

Like many of those who walked a mile through the park to commemorate deceased loved ones, Ball is personally invested in the event. Her son, Tyler, committed suicide in 2009.

Getting involved with the event's parent organization -- the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention -- has been a coping mechanism, said Ball's daughter, Nikki Nance.

"(It) helps others not to feel alone," said Nance, who co-chaired the walk.

The money raised by the walk will go toward the foundation's four-pronged attack against suicide.

The organization will put the money toward supporting loved ones affected by suicide, educating the public, research and public policy reform, according to Tyler West, fundraising chair for the Arkansas chapter of the foundation.

Colin's Clan had the honor of leading this year's walk. A paratrooper and parachute rigger in the military, Colin Patrick Bryan took his life in 2011, leaving behind a wife and child. His mother, Maureen Bryan, formed the group and has been instrumental in keeping her son's memory alive.

"He's been dead five years, but we're carrying on and making something of his death," she said.

Colin Bryan's best friend, Ben Carlson, also attended this year's event.

"I think the walk is awesome," Carlson said. "This is a great thing to get awareness out there for the disease of suicide. I love that every year it gets bigger."

Mike Mader, a volunteer who lost his daughter to suicide in 2005, said he hopes the trend continues.

"It's nice to see that we have grown," said Mader, who added the foundation and other survivors helped him overcome his grief.

"As much as I wanted it to be a dream, it was not," Mader said. "Some days to just get up out of bed and become a productive member of society again was very painful. Without them I'm not sure where I'd be today."

NW News on 09/19/2016

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