CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Thousands of people united at Chicago's Montrose Harbor to shine a light on suicide prevention with the annual Out of the Darkness Chicagoland Walk.
JR Lafi, Kate Meid, CJ Echles and Sarah Collins all attended the Saturday walk to fight against the stigma around mental health, said Lafi.
“I feel like suicide is a silent killer, and not too many people talk about it enough,” Lafi said.
Both Meid and Collins have lost loved ones.
“I’ve got a people in my past who have passed away due to suicide, and I think it’s really cool and important to be in this environment where it’s so encouraged to talk about it,” said Collins.
Echles works with kids who are survivors of suicide and feels the younger generation is paving the way.
“I think that the younger generation is a lot more open and understanding that mental health is just as important as physical health,” Echles said.
CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling attended the event and said it was a great way for law enforcement to come together with the community.
“We know that suicide and mental health affects everybody, not just police officers...To have this common theme, where our community members and our police officers are coming together to fight against and work with each other and help each other, it just helps our relationship grow. I think this is extremely important to have the mix of police and our community,” Snelling said.
The 20th annual walk raised over $700,000.
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