On Nov. 11, the sisters of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. (LTA) will hold the 10th annual Out of the Darkness Walk. The 5K walk is held in partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and is open to students and the Broward County community.
The walk at NSU started 10 years ago when LTA adopted the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as their local philanthropy. Oriana Lopez, the chair for the walk and a sister of LTA, said, “There are so [many] people that suffer from suicide… College can be really stressful, and we don’t realize how many students have these suicidal thoughts.”
Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the walk starts at 9 a.m. It takes place in Fellows Way, the location between the Carl DeSantis building and the Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Theatre. The walk will leave from Fellows Way and will end back in the same spot.
After the walk finishes, the activity portion of the event will begin. This year, members of various organizations will perform. This includes a dance performance, poetry readings, a singing performance and a speaker. A butterfly release is also scheduled to take place with all of the children who attend the event. Each butterfly represents a life lost to suicide.
Additionally, organizations will table to promote suicide awareness and provide various resources. Roma Robinson, a graduate student at NSU said, “The topic of suicide on a college campus is very taboo. People need to talk about suicide. If you are struggling you can always get help, and people here will always listen to you.”
To sign up, you can visit afsp.org/broward. Participants can choose to be walkers, team leaders or virtual walkers. You can sign up as an individual, as a team or join a team that is already established. Additionally, the site allows you to set a goal for fundraising at any amount.
Last year, the event raised $65,000 and this year they are aiming to match or surpass that amount. Students who want to get involved or want more information can reach out to the event chair, Oriana at ol109@mynsu.nova.edu or Roma Robinson at rr1440@mynsu.nova.edu or visit afsp.org/broward.
