The public is invited to join the Walk Out of Darkness, organized by students at UNE in Biddeford, on April 23. Courtesy Image

BIDDEFORD — University of New England students organizing a Walk Out of Darkness through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention are inviting the public to join them for a one-mile trek on April 23.

One of the organizers is Wyatt Blackstone, a pre-med student, and a member of the campus EMS Club, which provides non-transport 911 service 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on the Biddeford campus.

Walk-through Darkness was last held on campus in 2017, he said, to remember and honor a former EMS colleague.

“We hope to start the walk back up and make it a yearly occurrence at the University of New England in an effort to spread awareness of suicide/mental health and provide resources to UNE’s population, the southern Maine community, and the first responder population as a whole,” Blackstone said.

Check-in for the one-mile 3 p.m. walk April 23 begins at 2:30 p.m. There will be an opening ceremony on the Rippich Commons lawn. People can register for the event at www.afsp.org/une where they can sign up as an individual or team. He said the walk will not be physically challenging.

Organizers plan to have resources on hand like crisis hotline numbers and information people can use to boost their mental health, Blackstone said.

There is no registration fee to attend, but participants are encouraged to donate and raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said fellow organizer Sarah Swanick. AFSP uses donations to fund research, educate the public about mental health and suicide prevention, advocate for life saving policies, and support those affected by suicide.

In 2019, suicide was the second leading cause of death among those between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among those 35-44, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, it was the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. that year.

Maine CDC reports that suicide deaths in the state were the fourth leading cause of death for Maine youth 10-14 and those 35-54, and the second leading cause of death for those 15-34 in the years 2014-2016, the latest year figures are available for.

The Maine CDC asks those concerned about themselves or someone else to call the Maine Crisis Hotline at 1-888-568-1112 and for those outside of Maine to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273- 8255, or chat with a crisis counselor online at Lifeline Crisis Chat: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/gethelp/lifelinechat.aspx