Last Saturday, a group of people gathered in the snow filled parking lot of Lennoxville’s Optimist Park to voice their support for those who’ve suffered from mental illness and suicidal ideations.
To the participants of the walk, suicide awareness is a worthy cause to support with all the increase in mental illness that has plagued their society for the past three years. Adrienne Passmore, one of the participants and a friend of event organizer Jessie Sutherland said she believed it was an important subject to address.
“It’s such a big topic and there’s a lot of stigmas surrounding suicide, especially in the Estrie region,” Passmore said. “Suicide definitely needs to be talked about and removing the stigma and taboo surrounding it will help people open up more.”
The event faced some early challenges, with many of the participants’ cars getting stuck in the snow. Before long, however, the organizers and participants alike banded together to help each push each vehicle out, providing a wonderful illustration into the walk’s philosophy of being both helpful and aiding one another. With the cars unstuck and the parking lot plowed, the event could finally be underway as people stood, eager to share their support for the cause.
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