An annual event to bring hope and awareness to the fight for suicide prevention will take a different format this year.
The Seward County Suicide Prevention Coalition's Walk for Hope will be offered virtually this year. The event will be March 19 through March 21. Instead of a series of events and activities on Concordia University's campus, as it was in 2019, this year's installment will be online. Individuals are invited to register and walk by themselves or with a small group.
Andreea Baker, a member on the planning committee for the walk, said the changes to this year's event were for safety purposes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, she said the event is as important as ever as it's a chance to reflect on how difficult the past year has been for many.
“The past year has been a struggle for so many people with the pandemic and life changing completely,” Baker said. “We wanted to continue to support and encourage and remind people that there is always someone they can talk to if they need someone. We also want people to know of the services available in our community if you or a loved one would need those.”
Baker said the virtual format, spread across multiple days, allows individuals to walk whenever they have time or whenever weather cooperates. The event will be highlighted on Saturday night with a walk sponsored by Concordia's campus community at 7 p.m. followed by a remembrance walk at 8 p.m. Both those events will be streamed on the Seward County Suicide Prevention Coalition's Facebook page.
One benefit to the online format, Baker said, is that anyone can participate.
“We wanted to have people walk wherever they are, whether it was Seward, across the state or across the country,” she said. “They can walk as long as they would like.”
Since the walk is normally filled with a strong sense of community, Baker said the committee had to explore ways to bring that feeling to the virtual format. She encouraged anyone who participates in the walk to post photos on social media pages with #EveryONEcounts and #SewardCoWalkForHope2021. This allows all photos to be available for viewing in the same place.
To register, visit the Seward County Suicide Coalition's Facebook page.
