Amber McCullers lost her brother in April and hasn’t forgotten him since. But instead of grieving alone, McCullers organized a walk Sunday in his honor for other suicide survivors and family members.
Kyle Peterson was a 15-year-old freshman at Churchill High School who took his life without leaving any note or inkling of his depression to his family or friends. McCullers said her brother was someone who was loved by all.
About a month after Kyle took his life, McCullers found solace in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, one of the leading national non-profit organizations dedicated to preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy. She then began organizing the city’s first-ever Out of the Darkness Community Walk to promote awareness and support for families in the community who have lost loved ones.
Yesterday, nearly 400 people participated in the 3- to 5-mile walk at Alton Baker Park, raising $19,685 for the foundation. McCullers said she never expected this amount of involvement.
“I thought the walk would only be our family, and I said, ‘If that’s it, then so be it,’” she said. “But this was way more than I ever anticipated.”
McCullers said 50 percent of the money raised will stay in Eugene, and she plans on using it to start a prevention chapter — the first for this area and for the state of Oregon.
“I think the community would like things like this to go away,” McCullers said. “But Lane County and Oregon have had one of the highest suicide rates in the nation.”
In 2006, suicide was the eighth leading cause of death in Oregon with 573 deaths, and was the second leading cause of death among Oregonians aged 10 to 24, following motor
vehicle crashes.
In scattered patches of sun, a crowd gathered at Alton Baker Park on Sunday, and Carin Fairbanks Arena started to feel the emotions of the event.
“I woke up really excited,” Fairbanks Arena said. “Then I got here, and five minutes later I got really overwhelmed and started to cry.”
Fairbanks Arena lost her brother two years ago to suicide and knows how important
communication and support can be.
“This event will open the conversation,” she said. “It’s important for the word to be out there when no one knows what to say, because as much as I felt supported after my brother died, people never wanted to approach me.”
Fairbanks Arena attended the event with her husband Matthew, who lost his friend to
suicide five years ago.
“This is something that people don’t know how to talk about,” Fairbanks Arena said. “It is a hard thing to relate to.”
The couple said neither had any sort of suicide prevention awareness in school, but acknowledged that having resources is a vital part of recovery for a suicide survivor.
Emily Gaffney and Brittany Cleveland both haven’t had any sort of prevention in school.
Gaffney, a fifth grader, is a cousin to the walk’s honoree, Kyle Peterson.
“I think events like this are important,” Cleveland said. “I mean, this isn’t an issue until it happens, and then it affects a lot of people.”
Gaffney’s mom, Kelly, said they have not seen a lot of community awareness.
“Suicide touches more lives than we realize,” Kelly Gaffney said. “I think the community should see all the support that is out here.”
Minutes before the walk commenced, McCullers took the microphone and addressed
the crowd.
“All of us here lost someone,” McCullers said. “We are here today because we don’t want another family to go through the effects of suicide.”
At 1 p.m., the path around the park began to fill with family and friends of loved ones lost to suicide, and McCullers watched as the procession for her brother began to pass by.
As far as the future goes, McCullers said AFSP is looking for an Oregon/Washington organizer, but she plans to go where she is needed.
“I hope to keep up this work and to have a walk every year,” McCullers said. “I think people are needing to do this and want to get involved.”
A prevention chapter in Lane County would provide suicide survivor resources and support, and McCullers hopes to bring more information to schools for teachers and students.
“This is a tough subject for everyone,” McCullers said. “A lot of people suffer from depression, and I hope events like this will help it from being swept under
the rug.”
Suicide by the numbers
- Nationally: Suicide is fourth leading cause of death for adults between the ages of 18-65, with 27,321 suicides in 2006.
- Oregon: Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death in Oregon with 573 deaths in 2006.
- Lane County: Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in Lane County with 55 deaths in 2006.
