On April 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 1 p.m., the annual Hope Walks Here fundraiser will be held in the Student Experience Center by Oregon State University’s Counseling and Psychological Services, culminating in the Out of the Darkness campus walk. 

As a part of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s student fundraising campaign, this event happens every year in April as a way to raise awareness and give support to suicide prevention for both the campus and the nation. According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the second leading cause of death for teens and young adults in America. However, even with its severity, it receives less attention and funding compared to other leading causes. According to the CAPS website, the goal of this event is to bring the campus together to shift the conversation around mental health. 

The event will begin at 10 a.m., with registration opening at 11 a.m. There will be guest speakers and an open “honor bead” ceremony for all attendees. According to the website, an honor bead ceremony is an event where participants wear beads to represent their loved ones lost to suicide or personal struggles with mental illness. Each color bead represents a different connection to the cause. 

At noon, the approximately two-mile-long campus walk will begin. The afternoon will finish out with some post-walk food trucks and a variety of activities at 1 p.m.

Oregon State has an overall goal of $20,000 to raise for suicide prevention. There is the ability to donate both to an individual and a team. To donate and learn more, visit the CAPS website.