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Spokane Community Walk raised nearly $40,000 for suicide prevention

About 940 people registered to participate. The Spokane Walk had a goal to raise $28,500 through donations and registration fees. As of noon Friday, the total amount raised came out to $37,976.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Nearly 1,000 people in the Spokane community gathered in Riverfront Park Saturday morning to participate in a Community Walk for suicide awareness and prevention.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention teamed up with Spokane MultiCare Rockwood Clinic’s Behavioral Health team to organize the Out of the Darkness Community Walk. The walk began at 10:00 a.m. at the Forestry Shelter and looped back around, ending at 11:00 a.m.

Kevin Maloney, a spokesperson with MultiCare, said about 940 people registered to participate. The Spokane Walk had a goal to raise $28,500 through donations and registration fees. As of noon Friday, the total amount raised came out to $37,976.

AFSP set a goal to reduce the annual suicide rate by 20 percent by 2025. The donations raised from Community Walks across the country help the foundation reach that goal.

There are 425 Community Walks happening nationwide in 2018 with a total of 275,000 participants.That's quite a leap from the first Community Walk in 2004, which only saw 24 walks and 4,000 participants.

Learn more about Community Walks and AFSP’s mission at afsp.org.

If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

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