Orlando, Florida

Saturday, February 7, 2015

GOALS :: CURRENT STATS

150 teams :: 100 teams

1,500 participants :: 646 participants

$60,000 :: $40,698 raised

To Register, Donate, or track our Progress click HERE.

Thanks to ALL OF YOU and your hard work, we are at 68% of our goal with 646 walkers registered and $40,698 raised with 11 days left to go!

Remember - the Top Fundraising Team get to carry the Banner and lead the Walk.

Read on for more important details and helpful tips for the walk. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call at Vicki Long, 407-646-2227 or cell 407-701-2422.

Tracey Choroco, 407-212-2684

Your 2015 Out of the Darkness Walk Committee:

-Vicki Long, Chair

-Tracey Choroco Co-Chair, Volunteer Coordinator

-Marie Dudek Brown

- Larry Brown

-Juliana Linnehan

- Mike Long

-Bonny Fisher-Pruitt

-Beth Wise

-Joe Wise

-Roz Ray

-Tara Sullivan

Day of Walk FAQs

We will have plenty of activities while you're waiting for the walk to begin, including face painting, Paws for Prevention, honor beads, coffee & bagels, Community Resource tables, and more!

Please visit all of our community resource tables, and don't forget to stop by the AFSP Central Florida Chapter table to learn how you can get more involved in the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. You may also want to bring a few extra dollars with you to make a donation to get a bandanna at our Paws for Prevention Table and a chance to win your doggie a gift basket.

We are a Dog-Friendly event.*Please bring your own poopie bags.*

Finally, we will have a Memory Wall for people to place pictures or personal messages. Please bring a copy of your picture, not the original, because we will not be able to return the pictures. New Hope for Kids table will have materials at their table for writing a message to place on the Memory Wall.

We are honored to once again have WESH 2 Anchor, Jim Payne, as our Master of Ceremonies. Jim is the recipient of the prestigious Jefferson Award for Public Service and the President's Award for Public Service. The Orange County Corrections Honor Guard and Local Singer Amanda Sky Jordan will start our opening ceremony at 9am. This year at our opening ceremony we will have a special Honor Bead presentation. Music and sound furnished by Bobby Steele, DJ and Matt Shenk, recording artist.

After the walk, we will meet back in the same area to have a very special Closing Ceremony w/ Matt Shenk and a White Dove Release

and Presentation by Dance Out Bullying.

Walker Spotlight - Levesque Family

Daniel Levesque

We asked Wayne & Terry Levesque to share their story about why they walk, please read their words below and know that together we can work to raise awareness and prevent suicide.

The Levesque's Letter
We lost our son, Daniel Levesque, to suicide in August 2011 just 5 days before his 30th birthday.

That day forever changed our lives. There are no words to describe the heartache that is left behind. Daniel loved to make other people happy. If a friend was down, he would cheer them up. He always had a smile on his face. He was always willing to help others. He never let on to anyone how much he was suffering inside. He could not help himself.

We walk for 2 reasons. First and foremost, we walk to help spread awareness of just how real suicide is in our community, to help educate how to read between the lines to see possible signs of depression or other possible troubles and to raise money for research and educational tools. If we can save just one life, it's all worth it. But we also walk for support and to support others. It is a very emotional day for us, but we've found it helps to surround ourselves with people who have survived suicide.

Wayne & Terry Levesque

Help Us Reach Our Goal of $60,000

AFSP Walk

Leader Board

(as of 01/26/14)

2015

Top Fundraising Team

Will get to carry the banner at the walk. Past winning teams include:

Miles for Molleigh
Donald's Rap Pac
TWLOHA

Walk Location

Baldwin Park is located at

2420 Lakemont Ave, Orlando FL 32814

Click Here for Directions

Please park in the back of the Traveler's Insurance Building parking lot (the section farthest from the building).

After you park, walk behind the Travelers Insurance Building at the corner of Upper Park Road & Lakemont Ave. and proceed to the Big Registration Tent across the street and Check in.

Quick Links!

2015 Participant Packet

Offline Donation Form

Where the Funds Go

Team Captain Guide

Orlando OOTD Walk Page

AFSP Central Florida Facebook

Orlando Out of the Darkness Facebook Page

Earn your limited Edition 2015 Walk T-Shirt!

If you fundraise $150 or more, you will earn this commemorative Walk t-shirt...

Raising $150 is easier than you think...

1. Share your story on Facebook & Twitter!

Make sure you include a link to your personal fundraising page - it's as easy as cutting and pasting the web address into your status update.
Feel free to post the Walk Flyer online or anywhere you go!

2. Utilize your personal webpage and send out emails!

Include everyone you know in your email list! If you don't ask, they definitely won't give. Most people will be impressed you are asking on behalf of a cause you care about - and donate!
Need some help navigating your Walk website? Download the User Guide HERE.

3. Double Your Money with Matching Gifts!

Does your company offer a matching gift policy? Ask your HR department for the forms - it is such an easy way to double your donation.
Ask all of you donors if their employers having a matching gift program, too!

4. Plan a Fundraiser of Your Own!