By RORY MOORE
Tiger Media Network
The Greater Kansas Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention hosted the annual Hays Area Out of the Darkness Community Walk at North Frontier Park on Saturday to support survivors of suicide loss.
The main objective of the walk was to raise awareness of suicide, which is a leading cause of death in the United States and Kansas.
“There’s no one answer to do that,” said Leigha Dobson, Hays walk chairwoman and AFSP Greater Kansas board member. “It’s a combination of a lot of stuff. With AFSP, it’s research-based. We go by statistics and mental health reports.”
Beginning the walk from Frontier Park. 
Entering the path through Main Street. 
Leading 100 people for suicide prevention. 
Being greeted by bikers as they walk for a cause. 
Walking past Stonepost Apartments. 
Heading back to the Frontier Park pavilion. 
Completing the charitable lap. 
Signing the memorial banner.
Dobson said suicide for 10 to 33-year-olds is the second leading cause of death in Kansas.
“We think that’s ridiculous, and we want to end it,” she said. “So, every year, we put on one walk, and we raise money to keep the research for suicide prevention going.“
Dobson stressed that the only way to prevent suicide is to end the stigma surrounding mental health and understand the issue in people.
“It’s usually a combination of things that go on during people’s lives, and they get to a point where they are so desperate that they don’t see any other way out, which is what AFSP is around for,” she said. “We want to show them that is not a way out, that there is a way to cope and to make it through life. You just have to give it time, and conversations with people who are suicidal or who have mental illnesses can change their entire lives.”
The issue of suicide is often ignored in rural areas like Ellis County. Dobson said people are scared to get it because it’s such a small community and they don’t want other people knowing they need help.
“There’s so little help out there in rural communities,” Dobson said. “By having it so stigmatized, it’s making them feel ashamed of what they feel, so they don’t want to go get help. The first step to take is to go to a place like High Plains and be diagnosed, or just be there to have a mental health professional tell you it’s okay. It’s just like AA; you go one day at a time, and every day is one step further away from that day you considered taking your life.”
Despite the lack of awareness for rural communities, Dobson said the walk was effective, as 100 people volunteered to take the route and organizations from urban areas, like Team Sprinkle in Kansas City, came to participate and contribute to the cause.
“This is the biggest year we’ve had,” she said. “We raised more [money] than Kansas City, so I think it’s helping the area realize that there is more need for mental health services, and there is more need for places for us to go to where we can feel safe.”
Those looking for more information or who want to donate can visit https://afsp.org/chapter/greater-kansas.
If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, dial 988 or go to High Plains Mental Health Center at 208 E 7th St, Hays, KS, 67601.