KAUNEONGA LAKE, NY — The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is holding its Out of the Darkness Community Walk in Sullivan County on Saturday, October 3—leaving from the Bethel Senior Center, 3592 State Rte. 55.

County residents will be joining hundreds of thousands of people across the country who are walking in nationwide Out of the Darkness community walks to prevent suicide and support AFSP’s mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.

Sullivan County Walk chairperson Lori Schneider said, “If you’ve never lost anyone you care about to suicide—consider yourself very lucky. If you have lost someone you love to suicide, you’re not alone.”

Schneider is encouraging residents to register, either as an individual walker or as a team to raise awareness. Her goal is to have over 200 walkers this year. 

On-site registration for the walk on Saturday, October 3 will be at 11 a.m. The walk itself kicks off at noon.

“The route is an easy walk, not arduous at all,” said Schneider, who professes to be the slowest walker ever.

Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome as well.

“Walkers certainly can make a donation or collect donations, but that is not mandatory,” according to a press release. “As important as the fundraising is the awareness raising, we want to have a large group of walkers. The bigger the walk, the smaller the stigma.”

To register to walk yourself, form or join a team, or to sponsor a walker or team, log on to www.afsp.org/SullivanCounty.

For more information, call 845/794-1029.