Metuchen woman walking to fund suicide prevention All-night charity walk to raise money/awareness for depression/suicide BY TOM CAIAZZA Staff Writer METUCHEN - Sometimes it is in the darkest of hours that healing begins. That is the theme of the "Out of the Darkness" walk, a 20-mile jaunt through New York City from sundown to sunup in the city that never sleeps, to raise money and provide solidarity for people who have dealt with depression and suicide in many aspects of their lives. The event is sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), an independent, nonprofit organization that funds research and awareness campaigns for suicide prevention and counseling. The overnight walk begins at sundown on June 9, winds its way through the dark and lonely streets of Manhattan and ends at sunup the following morning in the same place it began, the South Street Seaport, on the banks of the East River with the first licks of sunlight bounding over the horizon. The symbolism is evident - Joy Havens, of Metuchen, understands it well. Havens lost a friend to suicide in high school and has had members of her family battle depression. She is walking for them and to raise awareness of suicide and depression. "I have some family members who battle with depression, as well as having close friends who have lost family to suicide," Havens said. Havens said that participating in the event, that asks participants to raise $1,000 to help fund suicide-prevention research and counseling, is something she has wanted to do for some time. Having been given the opportunity to do it, she said raising the money has afforded her the ability to spread that awareness. This is the first time the "Out of the Darkness" walk has come to New York City, though, according to William Grard, the director of development for the AFSP, previous walks in Chicago and San Francisco, among others, have been resounding successes. "This is the single largest successful event for suicide prevention to date," Grard said. The walks, all of which took place overnight, are part of a larger campaign to take the stigma away from mood disorders and depression. "We know that suicide and mood disorders are usually kept shrouded in secrecy," Grard said. "People are ashamed, people don't believe them that the illness is real and they don't take it as seriously as they do for someone who dies of cancer." Grard called the event a "healing, walking tour" because it not only provides fundraising for the foundation, but walkers also get a chance to seek solace with people who have been through the same trauma, the same issues as they have. These people have walked the same roads separately, now they have a chance to walk those roads together. "The reason why it is so important for them is because for the first time, because of the stigma, they are around 2[,000]-4,000 people who understand exactly how they feel," Grard said. "Without even having to introduce yourself, you can find people who suffer from the exact same relationship - whether it be they lost a sibling, a father, they made a suicide attempt or they suffer from depression. Without even knowing, you can see who really has the same feelings you do. For many of these people it's completely the first time." According to the AFSP, close to 1 million people make a suicide attempt each year and every 16 minutes someone dies from suicide in the U.S. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among adults 18-65 and the second leading cause of death for college students. For Havens, and the 2,000 to 3,000 participants expected to walk, those statistics are more than just numbers. They represent a person, with a name and an identity. It is this common bond that Havens said she is looking forward to. "I think it's going to be a great experience to do the walk with them and share their stories," Havens said. "It's going to be emotional. You develop a bond with them through sharing with them when you're walking or talking." For more information about the walk or the AFSP, visit www.theovernight.com.