By Anindita Dasgupta
The small kitchen was overwhelmed with boxes of cake mix, mixing bowls and frosting last Friday afternoon. Two Millennium High School freshmen, Hannah Moch and Chelsea Reed, spent four hours in Hannah’s apartment swapping out pans, cleaning measuring cups and frosting cupcakes in preparation for their bake sale on the corner of Washington Square Park on Saturday.
The sale was part of the girls’ efforts to raise $700 each to participate in the annual Out of Darkness Overnight walk, sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The two Battery Park City residents will walk with their mothers through the night on June 9. Proceeds from the walk will go toward local suicide prevention and education programs.
The 14–year-old teens were moved to participate in the walk after their friend, Malaya Holloway, an eighth grader at I.S. 89, died by suicide last year. According to the foundation, suicide is the third leading cause of death among teens and young adults and the fourth leading cause of death among adults 18–65.
“I hope it’s [the money] used for people like Malaya,” Chelsea said. “Also, I want it to help people get help if they need it and can’t pay for it.”
“And for people like us,” added Hannah. “For closure.”
Beginning and ending at the South Street Seaport, the 20-mile walk will begin at 8 p.m. and end at 5 a.m. There will be rest stops every few miles and safety vans patrolling the route. The girls are not intimidated by the distance though.
“I think when people think walk they think race,” Hannah said. “But if you think about it, people probably walk that much when they go to the mall if it’s a really big mall.”
The friends have been fundraising since March. They have received donations from parents, teachers and friends in the community. Randi Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers and a Battery Park City resident, also donated $100 to their goal. While the A.F.S.P. requires students to raise $700, the girls have set their personal goals for $1,000 each. Between the $100 they made at the bake sale and donations, Chelsea and her mother have met their goals, with Hannah and her mother Cheryl working to raise $600. The foundation allows walkers who have not raised the required amount one extra month to raise funds, so the Mochs will continue to fundraise until July.
People travel great lengths to participate in the walk. In addition to the walkers representing 48 states, one walker is traveling from South Africa to participate. Participants as young as 14 and as old as 80 partake in the event, said William Gerard, the foundation’s director of development.
“It is the single most successful event in the history of suicide intervention,” he said. Last year, 2,300 walkers participated between the two walks in San Francisco and Chicago. This year, they expect 1,600 walkers to participate, resulting in approximately $2.8 million raised in funds.
In the past, the Overnight has taken place in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Chicago. This is the first year the A.F.S.P. has brought it to N.Y.C. “We like to move it around the country so we can put it in different parts,” Gerard said. The foundation hopes to sponsor two walks next year, with proposed sites in New York and Seattle.
“Suicide is a national health problem that has been kept secret for far too long,” said Robert Gebbia, executive director for the foundation in a prepared statement. “The Overnight now gives those touched by suicide or depression a powerful way to bring the issue ‘Out of the Darkness.’”
The walk reinforces the foundation’s stance that suicide and mental illness must be acknowledged and discussed. “We want to educate people that untreated mental illness and depression can lead to suicide,” said Gerrard. “Realize that mental illness is real and that therapy and medication do help. This is a real illness.”
The girls are hopeful that their efforts will help someone else in need. “It doesn’t outweigh the bad or change what happened,” Hannah said. “But, events like this help us to see that something good can come out of it.”
“We’re probably helping someone,” Chelsea added. “At least they can be with people that love them just like we did Malaya.”
“There’s still time [to help],” Gerard said. “Please participate, please volunteer, please donate.”
For more information, visit www.theovernight.org
