10 things to know about the 2022 AFSP Out of the Darkness Campus Walk

The Out of the Darkness Campus Walks are the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention‘s (AFSP) signature student fundraising series, designed to engage young adults in the fight to prevent suicide. In honor of the 10th annual JHU Out of the Darkness Campus Walk, which is scheduled for Saturday April 2, 2022, we want to share ten facts about this important event:

1. 1. This event is open to everyone. While this walk is organized and promoted to Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions affiliates, we encourage friends, family, and community members to participate as well. ALL are welcome!
   2. Registration is FREE. While AFSP does appreciate fundraising to support their efforts, there is no obligation to fundraise. JHU’s main goal is to come together as a community to raise awareness about and support mental health and suicide prevention.
   3. All donations support the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Donations are tax deductible. AFSP uses your donations to:
      • fund research for suicide prevention
      • create and distribute education programs
      • advocate for public policy
      • support survivors of suicide loss
   4. You do not have to be personally impacted by mental health or suicide to attend this event. Chances are, you or someone you know has struggled with mental health challenges. Attend this event because you care about mental health and suicide prevention. The mood of this event is hopeful.
   5. It is easy to get to the JHU Out of the Darkness Walk. The event is conveniently located at Ross Plaza (720 Rutland Ave) on the East Baltimore campus. Mt. Vernon and Charles Village/Homewood residents can take the university shuttle (Homewood-Peabody- JHMI) to East Baltimore. If you prefer to drive to the event, you can park for free in the Washington Street garage on Saturdays from 7am to 7pm.
   6. The walk is for people of all fitness levels and abilities. The 2022 walk route is 2 miles and starts at Ross Plaza (720 Rutland Ave), proceeds to Eager Park, processes on Broadway, and returns to Ross Plaza. For questions about disability accommodations, contact Carol Spencer at cspenc29@jhu.edu.
   7. It is more than a walk. The event begins with registration and check in, breakfast (bagels, fruit, coffee), resource tables, AFSP beads, two photo backdrops, sign making, painting kindness rocks, and a Memorial Wall. Opening activities are followed by a brief ceremony, group photo, and the walk. The event ends with mindful meditation.
   8. It’s not a full day commitment. The event starts at 9:30am and ends at noon. Then maybe treat yourself to lunch or head to Homewood to watch the Hopkins women’s lacrosse team take on Maryland at 12:00pm or the baseball team vs Ursinus at 1:00pm. The walk is a wonderful way to start your day.
   9. You can still participate even if you cannot attend in person. We encourage anyone who cares about supporting mental health and suicide prevention to register and walk remotely wherever they are able during the weekend of April 2 and April 3. Bonus points if you post to social media wearing a walk t-shirt or holding a sign with the #hopewalkshere #afspmaryland hashtags.
   10. You are not alone. There is help. If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.