People unite for Out of the Darkness Walk at Piedmont Park

There is a walk that's taking place at Piedmont Park. It is called the Out of Darkness Walk here in Atlanta. In our 9 a.m. hour, you heard some of that conversation there. Our Caitlin Pratt is out there with more details there. It's one of those walks, Caitlin, that I know it's really heavy for a lot of the families that have experienced loved ones who have died by suicide and those who are are going through that mental health journey. Yeah, absolutely. Good morning to you, Eric. I mean, heavy, but also this walk is meant to offer some hope, meant to offer some companionship, and there's something to be said for being in a crowd, right, where everyone... knows what you're going through. So that's the driving idea behind the walk that's scheduled here at Piedmont Park behind me today. I'm going to switch the camera and you can see the setup has begun. A whole lot of hustle and bustle right now, but that big message on the hill there, the field at Piedmont Park in Atlanta's Midtown, you see it, those four letters, HOPE, spelled out here and that's what organizers I believe you actually talked with the organizer last week, Eric. They want people to come away with a sense of hope here. So let's talk a little bit more about what this walk is all about, what it's meant to do. This walk is going to be hosted in all 50 states today. Atlanta, though, the largest walk, where hundreds, actually thousands, are expected to come together to raise awareness about suicide prevention. Suicide is the The 11th leading cause of death in the United States. Money raised will help fund research, help fund education, advocacy programs across our state. So many are going to be walking in teams. They already registered and organizers telling Fox 5, this is really an opportunity to break the stigma, to honor those we've lost due to suicide, offering hope, offering healing. And the ultimate message here, As you're looking, they're setting up. The ultimate message here, you're not alone. This walk begins at 1:30. It's a rain or shine event, and resources are also gonna be available here for anyone who's suffering maybe from anxiety, depression. So a one-stop shop for both companionship and resources about suicide prevention. So hoping to have more in our next hour here on Fox Local, catch up with some of the volunteers and pass on their messages to you. In the meantime, I'm going to send it back to you in the studio, Eric. All right, Caitlin Pratt out there. They told me rain or shine. Hopefully the rain holds off there. I think this is such an important event. That so many people are going to take advantage of. We'll see you in the next hour. Caitlin Pratt out there for us.