Greenwood High School students Ava Smith, in purple, and Lilli Vaziri, immediate right of Smith, pose for a photo with family and friends during an Out of Darkness Community Walk on Sept. 10 in Indianapolis. Smith and Vaziri are planning a Light in the Darkness Walk at Greenwood High School on Saturday to raise awareness of suicide prevention.
Submitted Photo
Greenwood students have organized a walk for suicide prevention to show other students they’re not alone.
Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in both the U.S. and Indiana. In 2020, 45,979 Americans died by suicide and in Indiana, 1,024 people died by suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Greenwood High School students Ava Smith and Lilli Vaziri have both seen the impact of suicide and suicidal thoughts can have on family and friends. They’re organizing a Light in the Darkness Walk at the Greenwood High School Football Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m. to bring that awareness to others. The walk is inspired by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of Darkness Community Walks.
“It’s a bad crisis,” said Ava Smith. “We’ve had our own struggles, so we wanted to bring awareness.”
The idea for the walk dates back a few months. Smith saw a link on the foundation’s website for an Out of Darkness Community Walk in Downtown Indianapolis in September. She, along with her family and friends, including Vaziri, took part in the walk. She also was able to get a fundraiser going on the website as well, she said.
It was after taking part in the Indianapolis walk that she and Vaziri got together to do something more local.
“(Vaziri) and I came up with the idea for a walk at GHS,” Smith said. “We talked to the principal and the athletic director and went from there.”
When she shared her own struggles, people didn’t talk about suicide prevention or mental health awareness. By doing the walk and talking about these issues, it will help bring awareness, Vaziri said.
“It’s important for us to let people know they are not alone and we can use their voices,” she said.
In addition to Vaziri’s own struggles, a family friend took his life earlier this year. This was a big factor in her wanting to help people, she said.
The walk is the first of its kind to take place at Greenwood schools. Michael Gasaway, principal at the high school, was glad to see students take up that issue, as he’s seen the impact of suicide prevention efforts.
“I’ve been a part of 4-5 walks at my prior school, so I definitely know how to bring the community together, bring people together for a good cause like suicide prevention,” Gasaway said. “When they came to me, I was ready to go.”
The effort is student-led by Smith and Vaziri, with Gasaway only helping out when asked. For example, he’s sent out messages about the walk and put it out on social media, he said.
“What I love about it is it’s student-led. These two girls have done a lot to raise awareness,” Gasaway said. “It’s their project. They’ve done a great job at doing this thing.”
So far, Smith and Vaziri have been able to raise over $4,000 for suicide prevention and mental health awareness through the online fundraiser associated with the walk. The goal is now to raise $6,500 by Oct. 30, they said.
“We wanted to make a change in our community,” Vaziri said. “… It will be a great impact on our community and Greenwood in general.”
For the walk on Saturday, they plan to have glow sticks and glow bracelets. The walk is open to everyone in the community. Officers from the Greenwood Police Department will join students for the walk, Smith said.
“We want it to be a community thing,” she said. “… You don’t have to donate to go. You can just come out and walk.”
Parents have been supportive of the walk. There’s nothing but support for it, Gasaway said.
“Everyone knows somebody and knows of someone who’s been affected by suicide,” he said. “It touches a lot of people’s hearts. I know it seems like an uphill battle, and you’ve just got to keep trying.”
To donate to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention via Smith and Vaziri visit their fundraising page here.
If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the suicide prevention hotline at 988 or seek out other resources in the area.
IF YOU GO
Light in the Darkness Walk
What: A walk to raise awareness about suicide prevention and mental health.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Greenwood Community High School Football Stadium, 615 W. Smith Valley Road
Cost: Free and open to the community
