STORY BY HAL SAGA
PHOTO COURTESY OF CYPRESS COLLEGE WEBSITE
For Suicide Prevention Month, Cypress College’s Health Center and Active Minds chapter will be hosting their second annual Walk of Hope to highlight mental health awareness on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
The event is set to occur in front of the pond area near Student Life and Leadership from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with Active Minds mental health guest speaker Greg Vogt set to tell his story prior to a walk for solidarity around campus. A Community Resource Fair will then follow shortly afterwards.
Walk of Hope is hosted by the Health Center and Active Minds Student Support Group, the latter being a chapter dedicated as a safe space to speak about mental health challenges every Wednesday on campus at 5 p.m.
According to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with the Vital Statistics Cooperation Program, people aged 10-24 make up 15% of all deaths by suicide in the United States, making it the second leading cause of death for this specific age group. In the past two decades, the rates increased by 52.2%.
Factors that cause deterioration in mental health such as location, occupation, physical condition, sexual orientation and ethnicity play roles in why deaths by suicides occur.
Groups such as Active Minds at Cypress College are willing to contribute to their communities in raising awareness for Suicide Prevention Month.
Active Minds partnered with the Orange County Health Agency, Partners 4 Wellness, and Connect-OC to make the event possible.
All staff, students and faculty are invited to attend.
