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Walk aims to bring suicide, depression 'out of the darkness'

The Wake Forest Out of the Darkness community walk is being organized by a local mom who lost her only child to suicide.

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By
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

I've written about Carolyn Zahnow several times over the past couple of years.

She lost her only child to suicide six years ago. The experience led Zahnow to write a book, Save the Teens, and get involved in other ways to prevent suicide.

"The devastation was enormous not only to me, but everyone Cameron touched during his 18 years here," she wrote me in an email. "The bright side to my story is the many activities I do today to prevent additional suicides as well as postvention for suicide survivors of loss."

One of those activities is this weekend's Wake Forest Out of the Darkness community walk. The three-mile walk starts at 2 p.m. on the campus of Southeastern Baptist Seminary in downtown Wake Forest.  The route goes through the campus, continuing to downtown Wake Forest then along the tree-lined streets and historic homes of South and North Main streets. You can sign up for the event online or register starting at noon on Saturday.

"At the event, you’ll find several memorial activities that help survivors of suicide loss honor their loved ones," Zahnow said. "We also gather to raise awareness to the depression that can lead to suicide."

It's free to walk, but even a small donation will give you a chance to win some door prizes. Donations go to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

For more information about how you can get involved in this weekend's walk, go to the event's website.

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