Parkland Raises Funds for Suicide Prevention

College team top fundraiser for community walk; September is Suicide Prevention Month

Parkland College showed strong support for the Champaign-Urbana Out of Darkness Community Walk, held Sept. 8 at Crystal Lake Park in Urbana. This event, sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, takes place during Suicide Prevention Month. 

We had a great day for the Sunday walk. It felt like a celebration; they even had a DJ. A lot of people showed up to lend their support and to walk with us. Our team was made up of Parkland employees, students, family, and friends. We walked in honor of friends and family who have died by suicide.

Our 14-member Parkland Friends Team was the top fundraiser among the 43 teams that attended! So far this year, we have raised $3,234. I was also honored to be our team's captain and to be named the event's top individual fundraiser out of 241, with $1,185 raised. 

Let's all do our part to help reduce the risk of suicide, not just during the month of September, but year-round. To make a donation to the C-U Out of Darkness Community Walk, please visit the donor page.

[Dennis Cockrum, Parkland College counselor]