The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention will sponsor Bismarck's first annual Out of the Darkness Community Walk on Sunday, Oct. 5, at the state Capitol grounds. Proceeds will benefit local and national suicide prevention and awareness programs, as well as survivor support. Registration will be held at the Capitol grounds at 2:30 p.m. The walk will begin promptly at 3:30 p.m. The route is wheelchair-accessible.

Guest singer Brenda Weiler will perform and there will be an open microphone for anyone who might want to share stories and thoughts on personal experiences.

The organizational team for this event is Dorcas Kunkel, Tom Regan, Kersti Hintz, Susan Wagner, Gail Erickson, Linda Grothe, Brenda Bergen, Miranda Bergen, Barbara Grant, Christina Berger, Melissa Rooke, Denise Cota and Glenna Ellison.

There are nearly 70 community walks taking place across the country this fall with thousands of people participating nationwide.

Organizers say that in the U.S., someone dies by suicide every 18 minutes and that suicide is the third-leading cause of death among teens and young adults ages 10-25, and the second-leading cause of death for college students. Americans over the age of 65 account for 20 percent of all suicide deaths. Depression is the leading cause of suicide and among the most treatable of all mood disorders, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In this area, the counties of Burleigh and Morton contributed to nearly half of all North Dakota suicides in 2006-2007, according to the group's statistics.

To register, donate or to learn more, visit www.outofthedarkness.org.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research and education and to reaching out to people with mood disorders and those affected by suicide.