Staunton City Council issued a proclamation on Thursday designating Sept. 5-11 as National Suicide Prevention Week.
Crystal Graham, a member of the board of directors of the Virginia chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, accepted the proclamation from Mayor Carolyn Dull at the City Council meeting on Thursday night.
“Suicide prevention starts with everyday heroes like you and me,” Graham told City Council members upon receiving the proclamation. “Tonight’s proclamation brings the subject out of the darkness and helps us take a significant step in our mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.”
Graham invited the City Council to take part in the Greater Augusta Out of the Darkness Walk in Gypsy Hill Park in Staunton on Saturday, Oct. 8. The walk will raise funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s ongoing research efforts.
More than 200 walkers have already registered for the event, with $12,000 in pledges on the books toward the $50,000 walk goal.