By Taylor Sloan
Intern
(Sept. 26, 2014) Families and friends will gather on the Ocean City Boardwalk this Saturday for the Out of Darkness Walk, presented by The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
The event has two sponsors: The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and The Jesse Klump Memorial Scholarship Fund, according to Walk Coordinator, Ron Pilling.
The Jesse Klump Memorial Scholarship Fund was created in memory Jesse Klump, a Snow Hill High School senior who died in 2009.
“We really keep a lot of our funds raised local,” Pilling said.
Last year, 250 participants help raise $38,000. This year the foundation anticipates the same number of participants.
The current first-place fundraising team is Walk 4 a CauseY.
“I became aware of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention organization after a friend of mine passed away, Kyle Causey,” said Kelsey Twigg of Salisbury, the current top individual fundraiser for this year’s walk. She has collected $2,011 as of Sept. 24.
Causey’s mom, Colleen, organized the Walk 4 a CauseY team in honor of her son and her husband, who passed from suicide six months after Kyle.
“This walk is in honor of Steve and Kyle and for all of the people who have struggled or lost a loved one because of suicide,” said Twigg, a member of the Walk 4 a CauseY team.
The AFSP hosts Out of Darkness walks all over America in order to raise funds for its mission to have a suicide-free world.
Pre-registration for the Ocean City walk is open until noon, Friday, Sept. 26 atafsp.donordrive.com, and on-site at 9:30 a.m. on Caroline Street and the Boardwalk. The walk is scheduled to start at 10 a.m.
For more information about the walk, contact Pilling at 443-982-2716or afsp.donordrive.com.
