‘Hope and healing exist’: Ohio State’s campuses celebrate annual Out Of the Darkness Campus Walk

Helena Hennessy
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 16:14:09 +0000
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Students share notes of encouragement at Ohio State’s Suicide Prevention Program’s annual Out of the Darkness Walk, April 10, 2025. Credit: Courtesy of Taylor Youngpeter

Mental health can be a hot topic on college campuses, but Ohio State’s Columbus and regional organizations have banded together to promote a shared goal of hope and healing.?

Thursday, hundreds of students, volunteers and staff members came together in the Tom W. Davis Gym of the RPAC for the seventh annual Out Of the Darkness Campus Walk. Hosted by the Suicide Prevention Program, in collaboration with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the event featured indoor activities, guest speakers and a mile-long walk starting at 7 p.m. around the Oval and back.?

“Every Buckeye matters, and hope and healing exists,” said Laura Lewis, assistant director of the Suicide Prevention Program and organizer of the event. “This is how you create a campus culture of care — here’s an example of how we can come together.”?

Lewis said the goal of the walk is to create an opportunity on Ohio State’s campus to come together in solidarity around suicide prevention and to encourage people to speak up on behalf of others.?

“Students, staff and faculty matter on your campus,” Lewis said. “We have a responsibility to be looking out for each other.”?

Lewis said the event strives to unite those who have lost loved ones to suicide, as well as people within the Ohio State community who wish to show their support.?

“For many people who have lost someone, sometimes what happens is that it ignites a passion in them,” Lewis said. “They want to put that energy into a positive opportunity to spread the message that everybody matters.”?

The walk itself highlighted this shared goal, as even those who were unable to participate found inventive ways to show their support. Lewis said the Student Life Alumni Advisory Board stepped out of its meeting to hoist encouraging signs off the terrace of Thompson Library.?

Not only did the campus walk take place on Ohio State’s Columbus campus, but on four of its regional campuses as well: Lima, Marion, Mansfield and Wooster.?

“Being part of a community and knowing that you’re not alone is another powerful suicide prevention intervention,” said Leslie Beary, director of student engagement and wellbeing at Ohio State’s Marion campus. “So, it’s really a special event.”

During the event’s opening speakers, each participating campus was featured, as they shared their own set of remarks to crowds across Ohio through a streamed broadcast.?

“Ohio State public media is live streaming in such a way that we can be connected to each other’s campuses,” Lewis said. “We can see each other up on the big screen when we go to do our walks.”

While the campus walk has been an annual event for seven years on the Columbus campus, Marion’s campus has been hosting their own version for three years, Beary said.?

Beary said the message behind the walk represents how participants are not only connected by their campuses, but a cause that runs much deeper.?

“This event in particular is filled with hope and healing, and it’s hard, in 2026, to identify someone who has not been touched by suicide in some way,” Beary said. “This is a human issue, and [we] bring people together around it and and give them the support to talk about the topic of suicide prevention and not to be afraid of it when we come together as a community.”?

In reflecting on her own goals in participating in the campus walk, Beary said it is to instill a ripple effect — inspiring others to reach out if they are struggling.?

“If anyone is struggling, people would absolutely jump in to support you, to help you and to direct you to those who can give you the level of care that you need,” Beary said. “When we all believe that we matter, that’s a game changer.”?

Beary said she believes the campus walk has saved lives, as it has shown attendees a shared message of hope.?

“This is a campus event, but one day, people won’t be on campus anymore,” Beary said. “Now, everything you’ve learned — that idea of instilling hope and providing a sense of community for others — it’s transferable to go with them, wherever they land, and make a difference.”

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, visit your nearest Emergency Room or call 911. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached at 988. The National 24/7 Suicide Hotline is 800-784-2433. For the 24/7 free and confidential Crisis Text Line, text “4HOPE” to 741-741. If you are in a crisis or have an urgent need, you can call Counseling and Consultation Services at 614-292-5766 to speak with a therapist.