(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Several thousand people are taking part in a suicide prevention walk and support event Saturday near Montrose Harbor on Chicago’s lakefront.
The Out of the Darkness Walk is a fundraiser for the Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
But it’s a lot more than that, says Angela Cummings, the Executive Director. It provides a sense of community to those impacted in different ways.
“Here at the walk, we do have the honor beads, which are these Mardi Gras beads in various colors that you see people wearing. That’s an instant sign of how someone is connected to the cause. If you lost a friend, for example, you wear the purple beads, if you struggle, yourself, you wear the green, if you lost a family member, a child, you wear white.”
Ariana Squires is wearing green beads. She says it’s “a very, very personal experience.”
“It’s a deeply emotional experience. There’s always some tears. It’s kind of …