MAY 20 TH 2017
HUSKY HELP & HOPE WALK
2017 Walk for Suicide Prevention and Awareness
UW SYLVAN GROVE THEATER AND COLUMNS
11 AM to 3 PM
2-mile walk around campus
Hosted by Huskies for Suicide Prevention and Awareness (HSPA),
Forefront: Innovations in Suicide Prevention, and the UW School of Social Work
Husky Help and Hope Walk
Across the nation, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students. Here, at the University of Washington in Seattle, we have lost 19 students to suicide within the past seven years. The tragedy of suicide is preventable and by breaking the stigma towards mental illness and raising awareness of the ways to help those struggling with suicidal ideation, we can reduce the number of suicide related deaths. Sustainable, effective and innovative approaches ensure the prevention of suicide.
Huskies for Suicide Prevention and Awareness (HSPA) is hosting the sixth annual Husky Help and Hope Walk (H3 Walk) from 11 am to 3 pm at the Sylvan Grove Theater and Columns on Saturday, May 20th, 2017 as a passionate effort to raise money for suicide awareness and prevention. It is a campus and community-wide event aiming to offer support to survivors of suicide, commemorate those we have lost, and break mental health stigma. Our 2-mile walk will wind through some of the most beautiful parts of the UW Seattle campus to provide a journey of hope and strength with a projected number of 1,000 attendees . Our goal this year is to raise $10,000 that will go towards building and distributing HSPA’s Wellness Booklet, a student resource which contains in-depth information on depression, eating disorder, power-based relationships, and resources to relief struggles. The funds will also support next year’s H3 Walk, HSPA activities carried out on campus, as well as support Forefront with their amazing work.
Who are HSPA?
HSPA is a Registered Student Organization (RSO) dedicated to the destigmatization of suicide and mental health , as well as the promotion of mental well-being and positive living by building a strong, accepting, and safe university community. HSPA educates and develops better student awareness of mental illness by providing necessary resources.
HSPA was first established at UW in 2011 by three students. They put on UW’s first ever Out of the Darkness Walk for Suicide Prevention, sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). The next fall, a few more students got involved and HSPA was officially designated as a new RSO. Since then, HSPA has worked with the UW-based non-profit organization, Forefront, on various activities and events, including the annual H3 Walk, which has replaced the Out of Darkness Campus Walk to expand suicide awareness outreach on campus.
HSPA hosts various events such as the following to provide a safe space for sensitive issues to be discussed, in meetings and out, and for students to practice our mission both on and off UW campus:
- L.E.A.R.N. curriculum training: free 3-hour long suicide prevention training session held on UW campus
- Stress-Less Week : consists of hosting Therapy dogs, handing out free goody bags and hot drinks at Odegaard Undergraduate Library during the week before the final week.
- Legislation/policy support/volunteer opportunities presented by Forefront: i.e. Suicide Prevention Education Day, annual Forefront fundraising, and many more.
Please join us to become a part of our story as we go forward in making suicide prevention important mission at UW!
You can participate individually or form a group and register as a group. Also, HSPA is looking for volunteers who will help us make this walk the best one yet! Ask your friends, family, co-workers, colleagues, anyone you would like to take part in this mission together.
Also, any amount and form of donation , whether it is monetary, food, beverages, or goods (for our drawing), are truly appreciated. HSPA and Forefront cannot make this walk happen if it is not for the amazing support our community has shown us.
The links to the walk registration, volunteer registration, and donation are listed below:
- Walk registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/husky-help-hope-suicide-pre vention-awareness-annual-walk-tickets-31971634018
- Volunteer registration: TBA
- Donation: https://tinyurl.com/2017H3Walk
If you have any questions, please reach out to us and like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
HSPA contact information:
Email: hspa@uw.edu
Website: http://hspauw.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hspauw
Twitter: @hspauw We can make our campus a better place for all.
Together we can change our community for the better. Let’s make those changes together. Are you ready?