AFSP Illinois Launches 2026 Out of the Darkness Community Walks to Raise Funds and Awareness for Suicide Prevention<\/h1>\n
PR Newswire<\/p>\n
CHICAGO, Aug. 3, 2026<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Community Walks Bring Together Families, Neighbors, and Advocates Across 14 Illinois Communities to Fund Life-Saving Programs<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
CHICAGO<\/span>, Aug. 3, 2026<\/span> \/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE\/ — The Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) has unveiled the schedule for its\u00a02026 Out of the Darkness Community Walks<\/b>. As the state’s largest suicide prevention and mental health awareness campaign, this signature event series will take place in 14 communities across Illinois from September through October.<\/p>\n \n AFSP Illinois<\/a>\u00a0is calling on residents, business leaders, and local advocates to join the effort to raise more than\u00a0$1 million throughout the state<\/b>. In Illinois, suicide is the third leading cause of death for individuals ages 15 through 34, and the fourth leading cause of death for those ages 35 through 54.<\/p>\n The Out of the Darkness Walks are part of a nationwide movement of more than 400 walks that bring together friends, family, and supporters. These events raise much-needed funds while strongly sending the message that suicide can be prevented, and that no one has to walk through their mental health journey alone.<\/p>\n “These walks are often a person’s first introduction to the community of support AFSP offers,” said Philip Martinez, Board Chair of the AFSP Illinois chapter. “By walking together, we honor the loved ones we have lost, support those who are struggling, and fund critical resources that directly save lives in schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods across Illinois.”<\/p>\n How to Get Involved<\/b><\/p>\n There is no fee to register for any Out of the Darkness Walk. Participants are encouraged to sign up, raise funds, and build supportive networks:<\/p>\n To register for an Illinois walk,\u00a0<\/b>visit the Community Walks page<\/b><\/a>\u00a0of the AFSP Illinois website. To find a community walk elsewhere in the country, visit\u00a0the interactive map on the AFSP website.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n “Every person who registers, starts a team, or donates helps us break down the barriers surrounding mental health. This walk season is a powerful reminder that we are stronger together, and that there is an entire community standing ready to bring hope out of the darkness,” said AFSP Illinois Executive Director Angela Cummings.<\/p>\n 2026 Illinois Community Walk Schedule<\/b><\/p>\n Spanning from the Mississippi River to the Chicago lakefront, the 2026 Illinois Out of the Darkness walk schedule highlights opportunities for residents across the state to make an impact:<\/p>\n The Fight to Save Lives About the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: If you\u00a0or someone you\u00a0know\u00a0is at risk\u00a0of suicide,\u00a0please\u00a0call, text or chat 988 for the Suicide Crisis Lifeline<\/b>. Or go to\u00a0https:\/\/988lifeline.org\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n Suicide Prevention Resources:\u00a0www.afsp.org\/resources<\/a> SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" AFSP Illinois Launches 2026 Out of the Darkness Community Walks to Raise Funds and Awareness for Suicide Prevention Community Walks Bring Together Families, Neighbors, and Advocates Across 14 Illinois Communities to Fund Life-Saving ProgramsCHICAGO, Aug. 3, 2026 \/PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE\/ — The Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) has unveiled the schedule for its\u00a02026 Out of the Darkness Community Walks. As the state’s largest suicide prevention and mental…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":277008,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-277007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-salud"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=277007"}],"version-history":[{"count":"1","href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":277009,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277007\/revisions\/277009"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/277008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=277007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=277007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hispanicprwire.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=277007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"AFSP](\"https:\/\/mmx.prnewswire.com\/media\/MS1742949\/Picture1-Logo-Logo.jpg?id=OA2818696\" "\\"AFSP"){kind=logo}
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<\/b>According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the second leading cause of death\u00a0among people ages 10-34, affecting 1 in 5 families in the U.S. In 2023, the National Survey of\u00a0Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) reported an estimated 12.8 million adults aged 18 or older\u00a0reported having thoughts of suicide, and 1.5 million (0.6%) adults attempted suicide during the\u00a0past year. However,\u00a091% of adults in the U.S. think suicide can be prevented.<\/p>\n
<\/b>American Foundation for Suicide Prevention<\/a>\u00a0is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to individuals affected by suicide. The organization creates a culture that is smart regarding mental health through educational programs, advocation for suicide prevention, and providing support for those affected by suicide. All donations go towards these efforts with the goal to greatly reduce the national suicide rate.\u00a0For more about AFSP Illinois. Go to\u00a0www.afsp.org\/Illinois<\/a><\/p>\n
Suicide\u00a0Warning Signs:\u00a0www.afsp.org\/signs<\/a>
Media: Reporting on Suicide Prevention:\u00a0www.afsp.org\/reporting<\/a><\/p>\n
\n PR Newswire
\n CHICAGO, Aug. 3, 2026<\/p>\n