Darkness Into Light Vancouver Committee. Ciaran Brennan, Amy Sullivan, Ben Breslin, Elaine Ni Ghaoithin, Taryn Bywater, Audrey Brennan and Harry Clews. (left to right)
Walk until the sun rises around Burnaby Lake this weekend to raise awareness about mental health issues and share stories of overcoming the dark times in life.
The 5 kilometre Darkness Into Light charity walk starts at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday and will raise money for Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and Pieta House.
Pieta House was founded in Ireland by psychologist Joan Freeman and offers free counselling for those that suffer from suicidal ideation, self-harm or that have lost loved ones to suicide. Darkness Into Light is the flagship fundraiser for Pieta House and started in 2009 with 400 people walking in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. In 2018 there are 180 walks planned across four continents including the event in Burnaby Lake Regional Park.
Amy O’Sullivan organized the first walk in Burnaby in 2015 after losing her mother to suicide six years ago. "I was trying to channel my grief into doing something positive and trying to help prevent this from happening to other people."
O’Sullivan says the response to the walk, held on Mother's Day weekend this year, "was absolutely overwhelming. The amount of people that have lost family members or friends to suicide and how people just don't want to talk about it. There's such a stigma attached to it. We're trying to break the stigma."
Research shows that mental illness is the most important risk factor for suicide and depression is the most common illness among those that die from suicide, according to Statistics Canada. Suicide typically results from the interaction of many factors including: mental illness, marital breakdown, financial hardship, deteriorating physical health, a major loss, or a lack of social support.
The funds raised from the walk will go towards CMHA's Community Gatekeeper Training Project, which helps people recognize when someone is at risk of suicide, talk to them, keep them safe and connect them to community support and resources. Those that receive the training are trusted community members such as coaches, first responders, elders, spiritual leaders, teachers and coaches.
In 2017, Metro Vancouver Darkness Into Light raised $7,500 for the Vancouver Fraser branch of the CMHA and organizers aim to raise $15,000 this year.
“We hope that the walk will provide hope for people struggling with mental health concerns or thoughts of suicide to reach out for help—to remind them that, with help and support it is possible to walk back into the light from the darkness they may be experiencing," says Michael Anhorn, Executive Director of the CMHA.
O’Sullivan says people share stories and bring photos of their loved ones. They have a banner of hope where people can write messages to those that they have lost to suicide.
Tea, coffee and pastries are provided at the end of the walk and "everyone can talk openly about mental health and about people they've lost. They can cry and laugh. It's a really beautiful morning."
"The nice thing about the Vancouver venue is that we are the last timezone in the world to walk. As soon as we cross the finish line in Vancouver that is the final step of 200,000 people walking from the darkness into the light globally, together to symbolize hope for those who need it," she says.
Darkness Into Light is on May 12 and starts at the Burnaby Lake Rugby Club. Participants can sign up online and it costs $40 for adults and $8 for children. The committee is organizing car shares and are asking people to contact them if they need a ride.
