On Saturday, May 7 in the middle of the night, thousands of people will get out of bed to take on a 5km walk/run at 4.15am in aid of Pieta House, and this year for the first time, a Darkness Into Light walk will take place in Mitchelstown.
Losing a loved one to suicide brings with it unimaginable pain, torture and grief. People feel helpless, powerless and at a complete loss.
The Darkness Into Light walk is an uplifting and emotional experience, but it is also something tangible that you can do, as the money raised goes towards the suicide and self-harm prevention service that Pieta House provides.
The Mitchelstown Darkness Into Light 5km walk/run was launched on Monday night in The Firgrove Hotel and before the event was even launched, there were 89 people signed up for the event.
Chairperson of the Mitchelstown committee Michelle Cooke, spoke emotively about the message behind the event and about bringing light and hope to people, adding that she hopes people will feel empowered and enriched by the experience.
Dr Declan Herlihy also spoke about how common depression, self-harm and suicide are becoming in society and how events like Darkness Into Light help to open up dialogue and to prevent things from reaching crisis point.
“With the right treatment and the right support at the right time, people’s lives can be saved and changed.”
Speaking on behalf of Pieta Cork, Angela Horgan spoke about the free service Pieta House provides, which does not require a GP referral and said that they aim to see people within 72 hours, but they are generally seen within 24 hours.
“With the right treatment and the right support at the right time, people’s lives can be saved and changed,” she explained.
The Pieta House centre in Cork started out with two part-time therapists two years ago and now there are 27. In a single day, they could see more than 50 clients.
The Mitchelstown 5km walk/run will start and finish in Mitchelstown Leisure Centre. Registration is now open online on www.dil.pieta.ie.
Registration is €25 per person with an early bird offer of €20 up until March 28. Reduced rates apply for OAPs and those in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance and students. Children under 14 are free but must be accompanied by adults and dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash.
For those who don’t want to register online, there will be a registration evening on April 7 at Mitchelstown Leisure Centre from 5.30pm-9.30pm and another registration day will be held in the Livinghealth Clinic (date to be confirmed).
The gardai will be there to help out with parking and traffic management, but anyone who would like to help out as a steward or who would like to sponsor refreshments, is asked to contact a member of the committee or email mcooke35@hotmail.com.
