Join UTHealth Houston and Hike for Hope March 25
Help raise awareness and become an everyday hero in the fight against suicide by participating in the Hike for Hope on Saturday, March 25, at Menard Park, 2222 28th St., in Galveston. The event is sponsored by UTHealth Houston and benefits the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Students, faculty, staff, and trainees can support by either taking part in the walk or by donating to the UTHealth Houston team. University Classified Staff Council chair Trudy Ludwig is organizing the sponsorship effort for this event through the UTHealth Houston Behavioral Sciences Campus, as suicide has impacted her family.
“I lost my brother to suicide not long ago, so I have become more heavily involved in AFSP since then and they asked me help get more sponsors for the event,” said Ludwig. “Suicide affects us all — whether we realize it or not — and this walk is helping to bring awareness to that fact. It is so important to simply talk about suicide and erase the stigmas tied to it.”
To help UTHealth Houston reach its fundraising goal, donations can be made to a team member online through the UTHealth Houston Stomp Out Stigma fundraising page. Select the Roster tab, choose a team member in the list and select their “Donate Now!” button. Donations can only be made to individuals, but the total each participant raises goes toward the team goal.
All donations are tax-deductible and will help bring the foundation closer to achieving its bold goal to reduce the suicide rate by 20% by 2025. The university community can also support by registering with the UTHealth Houston team — just select the “Join Our Team” button.
To register to participate in the event, visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention homepage for the walk and search for the UTHealth Houston team. The walk begins at 10 a.m. but the grounds open at 9 a.m., so that participants can learn more about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and visit event sponsors, vendors, and food trucks.