Walking for Chris

Name: Walking for Chris
Brand: Walking for Chris
SKU: genClassifieds-337727
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4 (52 reviews)

Please support me as I take an amazing journey with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The Out of the Darkness Overnight Experience is an 16-18 mile walk for suicide prevention.

*Suicide*
There are countless ads on TV, radio and the internet warning you about drug abuse, heart attacks and cancer. Leading causes of death discussed openly in publication, social media and around the water cooler. The one term we rarely see or hear, is "Suicide". Even in today's society, the word suicide is considered "taboo". People don't like to see it or hear it, let alone say it. It's not easy or cheerful, nothing that'll make you smile; people avoid it.
The less we talk about suicide, the stronger the stigma becomes. The stigma we've created surrounding suicide has led to countless lives lost. If we can't talk about it, then the people we love will continue to suffer in silence. Very few people can say that they weren't directly affected by suicide. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in the world for those aged 15-44 years. Did you realize there is one death by suicide in the world every 40 seconds? I never did; it never occurred to me. Not until six months ago anyways.
At an early age I knew the term "suicide" but it wasn't directly relevant. As I got older, age 11-16, I faced several challenges with depression and suicidal thoughts. The idea and appeal of suicide became more realistic and relevant to my personal experience. Even then, it wasn't something I talked about. To this day, I doubt my friends or family have any idea how close I came. I was one of the lucky ones though; able to battle those demons and eventually I overcame them. Since then I haven't looked back, which has allowed me to avoid discussing it. That was the case, until suicide impacted my life in a way I never expected.
Growing up as a kid in small-town Maine 20 years ago, was very different from what it is today. We didn't have cell phones at age 6, few computers, no social media and your parents forced you to play outside. That's when I became "best friends" with a boy named Chris. We were thicker than thieves throughout elementary and middle school. He was the closest thing I had to a brother. We spent countless hours exploring the field behind his house, riding bikes, or building forts.
Since he was a year older, he was practically my idol. Every sport he played, I wanted to play. The same with musical instruments. Not only that, but he was the only person I had known that didn't judge me. He didn't care about the clothes I wore, how much weight I gained or how nice my parent's house was. He accepted me for who I was and I can never thank him enough for that.
As we got older, life changed as it usually does (unfortunately for us). With new moves, new schools and new friends; our real-life friendship faded into the world of social media. We still reached out occasionally, to reminisce about our childhood and how "easy" life was back then. Everything seemed fairly normal, considering the "natural progression" of childhood friendships these days.
That was until I got the message. I remember it as if it were a minute ago. Word from home; my best friend and "brother" had passed away. Cause of death; suicide. My phone dropped to the ground, as my heart broke and tears streamed down my face. The boy I called "brother" and idolized as a child; gone. There are no words to describe that feeling, even now while typing this I have tears running down my cheek. . . Chris is why I'm walking.
I regret my contribution to the stigma surrounding suicide, but I refuse to participate any longer. With your help and the money raised through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, we can help those who feel helpless. We need to abolish the stigma surrounding suicide and reach-out to the millions of people who are suffering in silence.
~Be the voice for those who are afraid to speak~
** 86% of AFSP revenue is from fundraising and 82% is spent on the programs and services it delivers through research, education and advocacy - both to prevent suicide and to assist those affected by suicide.

To learn more and see how you can help, click the following link:
http://theovernight.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=14675

Thank you for reading my story,

-Robert

Location: Maine -

Added on 6 days ago and expires on 21 May, Ad id: 337727

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