Participants in the fourth annual on聽Saturday, March 28,聽will wear, for the first time, the same t-shirt. For the past three years, walkers who joined the trek to raise awareness about depression and suicide among college students donned t-shirts in colors that marked their affiliation to one of four area colleges: 草莓社区, James Madison University, Bridgewater College and Blue Ridge Community College.
This year, the t-shirts, free to , are printed with four tread marks, inked, of course, with each school鈥檚 colors.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a symbol of all four schools united together,鈥� said Suzanne Hostetler, who mentors EMU students in her positions with and and is a member of the Walk for Hope planning committee. 鈥淭he EMU counseling center is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside of JMU, Bridgewater College, and Blue Ridge Community College to raise awareness about depression and suicide prevention. We see this day as a valuable event for students, faculty, staff and community members to come together in unity and to experience hope.鈥�
The walk and all afternoon activities are free and open to the public. People whose lives have been affected by mental illness, either personally or through friends and family, are especially encouraged to attend.
Participants will gather at 11:15 a.m. at Turner Ashby High School in Bridgewater, with the walk to Bridgewater College commencing at 11:30 a.m. The main event music, speakers, refreshments, and creative arts activities, which includes music, speakers, refreshments, and community arts projects starts at 12:30 p.m. in Nininger Hall. Children鈥檚 activities include face painting, hula hooping, and a special art area.
Comedian Kevin Breel, a writer and activist for student mental health, will be the speaker. The 21-year-old Canadian has toured frequently on behalf of Active Minds, a national student organization that works on peer levels to change the perception about mental health. His talk 鈥溾�� was featured on TEDxKids.
As in past years, participants can create remembrance art, adding squares to the 鈥淪ymbols of Hope鈥� quilt or creating 鈥淗ope in a Bag,鈥� personal bags 鈥渢o hold symbols of hope to remember for yourself or share with others,鈥� she said, adding that participatory art projects have always been an important part of the event.
Since it began in 2012, Walk for Hope has increased in size each year. Last year鈥檚 event, hosted at EMU, drew between 600 and 700 participants.
That growth may come as the result of a tragic fact: Most college students know someone who has suffered from depression or anxiety, contemplated suicide or died by suicide. The second leading cause of death among college students is suicide, according to a 2012 study by the . reports that depression and anxiety are more common among college students than back pain, sinus ailments, and allergies.
The event is sponsored by , which also funds an innovative mentoring program at EMU called CoachLink. The program began after Austin Frazier, a junior at James Madison University, died in 2009 after a long battle with bipolar disorder.