The Out of the Darkness Campus Walks are the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) signature student fundraising series, designed to engage youth and young adults in the fight to prevent suicide, the second leading cause of death among people ages 15-24.
OSU’s Inagural Out of the Darkness Campus Walk was scheduled for April 4, 2020. Unfortunately, due to the social distancing precautions put in place to help slow the spread of COVID-19, this walk was canceled. In place of the walk, The Ohio State University Suicide Prevention Program challenged previously registered participants and teams to stay social while social distancing and virtually connect with their friends, family, and coworkers. Participants used online platforms, such as Facebook and email, to reach out and connect with people in their lives to spread hope and positivity.
Before the event cancellation, the OSU Campus Walk had 65 teams and 452 participants registered. Additionally, the OSU community still raised over $28,000 for the cause.
OSUSPP looks forward to rescheduling OSU’s Inaugural Out of the Darkness Campus Walk for 2021.
