The psychology club at Florida Atlantic’s Boca Raton campus will be partnering with the school’s Counseling and Psychological Services center to host the Out of Darkness Walkathon on Sunday, March 20.

The walkathon will take place in FAU’s Track and Field Complex; registration starts at 9 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m. Participants will walk three to five miles.

The purpose of the event is to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, increase suicide prevention awareness among FAU students and reduce the stigma typically associated with talking about suicide.

Rafael Leite, senior psychology major and the vice president of Psychology Club, said the pressure of college can make students susceptible to suicidal thoughts, but help is available.

“Don’t be afraid to seek out help. It may seem scary, but in the end, it is always worth it,” said Leite.

National statistics compiled by Emory University revealed that college students have a higher suicide rate than the general public. Over 1000 suicides occur on college campuses every year, and 1 in 10 college students have contemplated committing suicide.

Andrew Blake, senior psychology major, said it’s important to listen to anyone talking about committing suicide, even if you think they’re not serious about it.

Resources are available through FAU’s Counseling and Psychological Services. They even have a crisis lifeline — 561-297-3540 —which is available 24/7.

For more information about the Out of Darkness event, or to make a donation, check out the website here.

Joshua Stoughton is a contributing writer with the University Press. To contact him on this or other stories, he can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter.