The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will host an Out of the Darkness Walk on Sunday, April 13, on the Central College campus. The return of this event to Central has been led by Kylie Carstens, a Class of 2026 student from Lake City, Iowa.
“The Out of the Darkness walk provides a platform for promoting mental well-being, support for those affected by mental health challenges and working toward a more open, empathetic campus environment,” Carstens explains. “Central hosting this event shows that we can bring everyone in the community together to make a difference.”
The Out of the Darkness Campus Walks are the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s signature student fundraising events, designed to engage youth, young adults and their local communities in the fight to prevent suicide, a leading cause of death for young people.
“Seeing this event being hosted last year allowed me to see I wasn’t alone in this world, and that there is always hope,” Carstens says. “I want to provide other students with the opportunity to see that they are never alone either.”
Registration and a resource fair will begin at 1 p.m. in the Maytag Student Center with displays and vendors. Speakers will present information at 1:30 p.m. in Van Emmerik Studio before the one-mile walk, which starts at 2 p.m. on campus. As a fundraising event, all individuals who raise $100 or more will receive a free Out of the Darkness Walk t-shirt.
All are welcome to participate in this walk. Register or donate at https://afspwalks.donordrive.com/.
