By Maire Crooks, The Current Co-Editor in Chief
On March 31st, over 240 people gathered together on Oakland Mills’s field and participated in the second annual Light the Night 5k in honor of suicide prevention. Organized by River Hill junior Aubrey Heiges, the event consisted of speakers, tables full of resources and goodies, and a 5k run/walk through the neighborhood of Oakland Mills.
“I think [suicide prevention] is a really good cause and I don’t want to see [awareness] stop. I have seen how [mental health] has affected not only our team but other teams around the county. Everyone has their own story and I just think it’s something that needs more attention,” explains Aubrey, who took over the event from the previous coordinator and founder, River Hill graduate Chloe McGeehan.
Various mental health organizations and resources were featured, such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Sheppard Pratt, Ellie Mental Health, and more. Participants, clad in Light the Night T-shirts and flashlights, took advantage of the tables. As Addyson Miller, RHHS junior and Light the Night participant, describes, “I greatly enjoyed the white light up stick that we carried around with us throughout the 5k,” which she got from one of the sponsor tables.
At approximately 6:50pm, participants gathered to listen to people from the community present on the effects of suicide and the need for prevention. The speakers consisted of Becca Niburg, a longtime volunteer of AFSP; Anna Katz, Operations Manager of Grassroots; Stephanie Reid of Howard County’s Bureau of Behavioral Health; Raul Delerme, Director of Howard County Parks and Recreation; and Stephanie Wall from the Office of the County Executive. They reminded the audience that they are not alone, not a burden, and help is available. The speeches were one of Addyson’s favorite parts; “[They] were all really interesting and you could tell how driven they were.”
Finally, the event commenced with the 5k run/walk, and finishers earned a ribbon. The top three boys and girls each won gift cards to Charm City Run and Feet First, including RHHS freshmen Lauren and Marella Virmani, first and second female finishers, respectively. Additional raffles for Sandy Spring Adventure Park tickets and Feet First gift cards were doled out to the lucky winners.
Participants thoroughly enjoyed the night; Addyson articulated, “My favorite part of the event was the community itself and how accepting and kind everyone was. No one judged anyone on how slow or fast they were going and it really felt like I belonged. I think it is a great way to raise awareness to suicide in an all-inclusive fun activity.”
Aubrey began taking on this large event by talking with Chloe, who “gave [her] some contacts for people from last year.” Phil Lang from Bullseye Running and Howard County Parks and Recreation were instrumental in assisting with this event. Aubrey mentions, “They were a big help the whole time, guiding me through the process of running an event like this.”
Overall, “I thought it went really well, a lot better than I was expecting!” exclaims Aubrey. “I thought the turnout was really great and helped show how this cause has impacted our community and that we as a community want to support those affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts.”
When asked to sum up the event in a few words, Aubrey said, “Needed and important. I think it is really important to spread the resources… to people who might not otherwise have access to them.”