On October 10, more than 700 people gathered in Oakley to show solidarity against the stigmas surrounding suicide and mental illness. The event raised more than $38,000 in funds.
The Out of the Darkness Walk was held at Cypress Grove Park which included resource booths and multiple speakers to talk about not only the issue of suicide, but to show support to one another. Funds raised from the event are being split where 50% stays local in the county to provide resources and 50% goes to national outreach.
The event was the created by Oakley City Councilwoman Vanessa Perry who carried on efforts made by then Councilwoman Diane Burgis and Supervisor Mary Piepho. It was a result of an increase of suicides within the City of Oakley where they had a total of 11 in 2014—more than the previous 5-years combined.
In 2011, according to County data, 116 people committed suicide in Contra Costa County. The same data shows more than 39,000 people committed suicide in 2011.
According to Perry, when the planning committee first began, they expected around 300 people to participate with a fundraising goal of $10,000. She stated they had to change their goal multiple times as people kept signing up and raising money–she admitted to being overwhelmed with the support.
Vanessa Perry shared her experience with suicide after she lost two friends to it over the years and how the topic is near and dear to her heart. She also highlighted why she wore beads in the colors of blue, green and purple which have different purposes.
“I wear blue because obviously I support suicide awareness and prevention, I wear green because as a teen I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and panic disorder and this is something that I have not shared before but this is a day of sharing and if me being up here and not passing out is any motivation for any of you than I am okay with that. So you can do it,” said Perry. “It’s tough but you can do it. It gets easier each time and you can achieve your goals. I wear purple; I lost one of my friend in 10th grade and I lost my best friend to suicide 4-years ago so this is a cause that is near and dear to my heart and I don’t want this in our community or any where else. I want us all to live and be happy while coming together. Lets see if we can start that today.”
East Bay Regional Park District Director Diane Burgis, spoke about how she was a City Councilwoman for Oakley, she would receive police updates about what was transpiring in the city and would be alerted to the suicides. She did not like seeing so many.
She said it was not acceptable to not provide help or educate the public on resources available and that multiple stakeholders needed to get together to work on a solution and provided services to the community.
“Pretty soon, we realized we had more suicides in one year than in the last 5-years,” explained Burgis. “We realized there was a problem so the council helped get people together. Our faith based community, our veterans, our community groups and we are training people to be aware and be there for people if they need help.
She further highlighted that dealing with someone who may want to hurt themselves is never easy which is why training was made a priority in Oakley.
“Unfortunately I’ve been in the situation where I’ve ask someone if they are okay. Do you feel like your going to kill yourself or hurt yourself,” said Burgis. “That is not an easy situation to be in because you are afraid of what the answer is going to be.
Mark Carter, father of Staff Sergeant Ty M. Carter who was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama, was also in attendance and spoke.
“I stand here today standing out looking at this crowd and I see a bunch of weirdos. A giant group of weirdos. Rather than being out looking at a bunch of ships , you can watch a football game, but you are hear. The idea that you are here in being experts in your own feelings is why I am telling you this. The feeling that you are experiencing right now, that brought you here today are the expertise that will be needed if not in the past, soon, or near future,” said Carter.
He further highlighted how everyone has experienced invisibility and being alone. Another experience one may see is the need to invisible with those who are beating you up or abusing you–both verbally and physically–you want to get away from so they don’t see you which creates a frustration for you.
Oakley’s Maggie Hurtado was the events keynote speaker. She lost her husband to suicide in May and shared her story of battling depression, however, she flipped the emotions to inspire many by explaining how you have to pick up the pieces once you find that light to grab it and get busy living.
Here is the text of the speech provided by Maggie Hurtado of Oakley.
It’s a disease that keeps growing because its kept in the darkness. I can laugh now because this has been a very long journey for me. In grade school myself, I was made fun, treated as a less than because I was severely dyslexic and was driven around in a little bus instead of a big bus. Instead of seeing it as a set-back, I saw it as a set-up because I got this larger than life personality and I learned how to meet people and cope with different situations.
By the time I got to high school, I was prom queen and very popular. But through all of that, I felt very very alone and always felt like I was in a shadow even with all the people around me who loved me. I can come to you today that I tell you I have been there. I realize that now that I have struggled with depression for a huge part of my life.
A
nd so when my husband took his life earlier this year on May 22, people asked how he could have done this and no one even known. How can he smile at everybody everyday and hide this huge secret that he had inside. I can honestly say that for me my whole world has been turned upside down, but at the same time I know where he was and know how he could have done it because I myself had done it for years.
And then the people who know me now because when that light turned on in my mind, and that is what has to happen you have to search inside your soul and grab onto that light. When that light finally turned on for me and I decided that I wanted to live.
The last 13-years of my life have been extraordinary and I love everybody and everything about life. I enjoy the birds in the morning. It’s something that has to happen inside mentally. I went through a lot of counseling; I went through depression bills, and a lot of contemplating.
You know, here I am. Its really not about him anymore, it hasn’t been that long, only a few months, but in order for me to go on and not be another statistic for myself, for my children and all of the survivors out here today, we are left to pick up the pieces so let’s get on with living.
After the speeches concluded, the Hurtado family led the 5k walk as 700 people participated. Here are photographs of the event:
The committee who helped plan the event includes: Debbie Lapuz, Doug Knowles, Gordon Doughty, Imelda Diaz-Rios, John Amie, Linda Dooley, Melissa Margain, Monica Wilson, Patti Blevins, Rick Lapuz, Ron Perry, Simon Mendez, Sue Higgins
For more photograph, you can visit the Oakley Out of the Darkness Facebook Page.
Video: Here are the speeches by East Bay Regional Park District Director Diane Burgis, Oakley Councilwoman Vanessa Perry, and Melissa Margain of Contra Costa County Supervisor Mary Piepho’s office.
About Out of the Darkness
Out of the Darkness Community Walks are fundraising walks supporting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. There are over 360 Out of the Darkness Community Walks taking place throughout the U.S. this fall. Funds will support vital research, education, advocacy, suicide prevention initiatives and programs to support those impacted by suicide.
AFSP’s goal is to reduce the annual rate of suicide by 20 percent by 2025.
