At the early hour of 5am on May 11, 2019, hundreds of Calgarians will gather in the darkness at Prince’s Island Park for Darkness Into Light Calgary, a unique 5k run/walk in support of suicide prevention and overcoming mental health struggles. As participants walk or run towards the finish line, the sun will peak slowly over the horizon. As they finish, sunlight and warmth will pour over them. Walking from darkness into light symbolizes hope for the future and recovery from dark times.
Darkness Into Light originated in Dublin, Ireland in 2009 when 400 people set off on the very first Darkness Into Light walk. This May, over 250,000 people will walk in 202 locations, in 19 countries, across 5 continents.
In Ireland, it is the annual fundraising event of Pieta House, which provides professional services across Ireland for people at risk of suicide & self-harm, and those bereaved by suicide. In Calgary, Darkness Into Light benefits Distress Centre Calgary, and has raised $16,243 for Distress Centre’s crisis services since 2015.
The Calgary event was initially organized by Sharon Whelton, an Ireland native. Sharon now leads a dedicated team who work together to organize the annual event.
“Our hope for this event is that it will encourage anyone who is struggling to speak up and reach out,” Sharon said. “It’s okay to not be okay – never be afraid to reach out and ask for help, whether from friends and family, or Distress Centre.”
Join us on May 11th and be a part of this inspirational morning.
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Can’t attend? Show your support by donating to the Distress Centre team.
