Miami and Oxford community come together for annual Out of the Darkness Walk

Miami University and the City of Oxford hosted the 10th annual Out of the Darkness Walk at Memorial Park on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 1 p.m. Jennifer Young, psychologist and associate director for community engagement at Student Counseling Services, organized the event.

“We had the most people and the highest amount of money raised than we have for any other event,” Young said. “And we had lots of families from the community, as well as Miami students who came, and to me, that's really rewarding.”

Clubs, student organizations and other tables with resources were stationed around the park before the walk started. Each table provided an activity or materials for participants to explore after they checked in, before the opening remarks started.

After a few words about the walk’s history and the funds raised this year, Young introduced Emma Halcomb, a graduate student at Miami and a community manager in the Office of Residence Life.

“There's so much news and negative things being pushed at students and young adults that we've never seen before, and I think that's causing a lot of mental anguish,” Halcomb said. “So talking about [how] it's OK to not always feel 100% is really important.”

Photo by Caitlin O'Brien | The Miami Student
Students and community members completed a 2 mile walk around Uptown and the campus.

Halcomb spoke about her personal connection to the walk and kicked off the honor bead ceremony, where attendees were invited to take different colored beads to wear to represent who they came to walk for.

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Mitchell Gruber, a sophomore computer engineering major at Miami, wore teal beads to support his friend who struggled.

“He was in tears and they asked him if he thought he was a danger to himself. He said ‘yes,’” Gruber said. “We took him to the hospital, where he stayed for three days.”

Each person who took part in the walk had a story to tell. Other attendees wore different colored beads to honor their loved ones, their own personal struggles or to show their support for the cause in general.

The group was then led in two groups through the two-mile walk around Uptown and campus, then back to the park where they could grab healthy snacks before leaving. The success of the walk paved the way for the rest of Suicide Prevention Week, in which Miami will hold events through Friday, Oct. 3.

“We are here to show support for those who struggle with mental health concerns, we are here to break the stigma of seeking help and we want to spread hope that suicide is preventable,” Young said. “Today we walk for those who can’t.”

If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out for help. Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741. For more resources, go to asfp.org

obrie175@miamioh.edu