Out of almost 400 suicides registered in Ireland in 2017, men accounted for 8 in 10 deaths. That’s a devastating statistic to face, and one that Pieta House, with its Darkness Into Light events, is tackling every day.
On Saturday May 11, hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland and around the world will again gather before the sun rises. They will walk (or run) 5km and raise money for Pieta House and the support services they provide for people in suicidal distress or engaging in self-harm. Balls.ie will be doing the walk at Phoenix Park and we'd love you to join us. Here's 3 reasons why you should walk Darkness Into Light on May 11.
You'll be joining a global movement
Darkness Into Light is more than just a dawn walk for a great cause - it is a global movement. This is the 11th year of Darkness Into Light. It started in 2009, when 400 people completed a 5km walk around the Phoenix Park at the light of dawn. On May 11, over 200,000 people will gather at 202 venues worldwide.
You'll be helping to remove the stigma around suicide
Around the world, 800,000 people per year die by suicide. That's one person every 40 seconds. Suicide has affected every community in Ireland. Events like Darkness Into Light unite people and help to lift the stigma.
You'll be raising essential funds for a vital resource
€6 million is a lot of money. That's what Darkness Into Light raised last year in total. That's a massive amount of money that will go a long way towards keeping the essential services that Pieta House and their charity partners provide. It costs approximately €30 to cover the cost of three calls to Pieta’s 24/7 crisis helpline, €250 to get a Resilience Academy program kicked off in a school, and €1,000 to provide a complete suite of counselling services to one person in crisis. Pieta House has supported over 40,000 people with face-to-face counselling services, which shows you just how vital this lifesaving work really is.
WALK WITH US: the Balls.ie team will be doing the walk at the Phoenix Park on May 11. To register to join us in Dublin - or at any of the 201 other locations around the world, follow this link.
If you can't make the walk, you can always donate directly here.
