3rd annual Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk

The Center for Student Wellness and Health Promotion, along with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, will host the third annual Marquette University Out of the Darkness Campus Walk on Saturday, April 5. The walk will begin on Central Mall outside St. Joan of Arc Chapel.

On-site registration will begin at 11 a.m., with the walk starting at 12:30 p.m.

Registration for the walk is free and can be found online. Participants are encouraged to fundraise once they have registered as an individual or a team.  

When you raise $100, you will be given a walk T-shirt at check-in on the day of the walk. 

The past two years have brought over 500 participants to the walk and raised over $13,000. This year the fundraising goal is $10,000. 

There are multiple ways for you to get involved: 

1. Become a sponsor. See the document at the bottom of this story for more detailed information. 
2. Sponsor the event for $500. Sign up to be a sponsor by Friday, March 28, and you’ll have your logo on the walk website, on walk day signage and be recognized by the emcee on the day of the walk. 
3. Sponsor the event for $1,000. Sign up to be a sponsor by Saturday, March 1, and you can have your logo on the walk T-shirt, on the walk website, on walk day signage and be recognized by the emcee on the day of the walk. 
4. Register as an individual. Register as an individual and fundraise here. 
5. Register as a team. Register as a team and fundraise here. 
6. Table at the walk. Does your department/office support mental health? Request a table for the day of the walk by emailing elizabeth.gnau@marquette.edu.
7. Volunteer at the walk. Email elizabeth.gnau@marquette.edu.
8. Talk Saves Lives. Attend the event on Monday, Feb. 24, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Center for Student Wellness and Health Promotion, located on the 3rd floor of the Wellness + Helfaer Recreation facility. 
9. Eat at Qdoba. On Monday, March 24, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., eat at the Qdoba located on campus to have 25% of the proceeds donated to the walk.
10. Share this information with students, faculty, staff, alumni and off-campus partners. 

There are many reasons why we choose to walk, fundraise and end the stigma around mental health. No matter the reason, there is hope and we at Marquette and the greater Milwaukee community can be the difference. Pass this information along to anyone that might be interested.

For students, campus resources include the Center for Student Wellness and Health Promotion and the Counseling Center. 

For employees, campus resources include the Employee Assistance Plan. 

If you are in a crisis, you can also call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting 741-741.