Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. A person dies by suicide every 15 minutes, claiming more than 34,000 lives each year. It is estimated that an attempt is made every minute; with close to one million people attempting suicide annually, yet it is preventable.
The 9th Annual Orlando Out of the Darkness Community Walk will be on Saturday, February 6th, 9am at Baldwin Park. It is sponsored by the Central Florida Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). The Central Florida Chapter had over 1500 walkers last year and raised over $100,000 - which was the highest amount raised by any chapter.
Terry Levesque is the owner of All Seasons Pest Control in Apopka. She is a passionate supporter of AFSP, hosting other events as well as participating in the walk.
"We lost our son (Daniel, age 29) 4 years ago in August to suicide," she said. "We have been involved with them ever since."
Terry's other local fundraiser is the Deviled Egg campaign. She will make and deliver deviled eggs decorated for your special occasion. There is a minimum $10 donation per dozen. Contact her at 321-277-7530 or terry@allspc.com.
Also, on Wednesday, Beef O'Brady's in Apopka (1410 Rock Springs Rd.) will donate a portion of their income that evening from 4:00 - 10:00 PM.
The AFSP is the leading not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mood disorders and those impacted by suicide.
The walks raise awareness for suicide prevention as they raise the resources needed to carry out their mission. With nearly 200,000 people walking in 350 cities across the country, this is the AFSP’s biggest fundraiser and the driver of the suicide prevention movement.
Register online at http://afsp.donordrive.com/event/orlando
Saturday February 6, 2016 at Baldwin Park, 2420 Lakemont Ave., Orlando, 32814.
Check-in Time: 7:30 am to 9:00 am
Contact: Vicki Long
Phone: 407-646-2227
E-mail Address: vlong@rollins.edu