SPAN 2020 Suicide Awareness Virtual Walk

SPAN has been holding its Suicide Awareness Walk annually since 2010, and this year would have been its 11th Anniversary Walk! A dream of its founding members, the Walk is a positive, active community event where people can come together and pay tribute to lost loved ones, offer support to those hurting and ultimately embrace the gift of life.

Hope Bereavement Care is proud to auspice the SPAN Walk. Although we can’t be together on this day, we want to create a safe, welcoming and supportive space for people bereaved by suicide to continue the legacy of the SPAN group in walking together in memory of our loved ones, reduce the stigma and raise awareness around suicide, and connect with others on the same grief journey so we are not alone.

On Sunday 13th September in Suicide Awareness Week, we ask you to walk for all the reasons we have come together in the past:
– To honour our loved ones
– To raise awareness of suicide and promote the message that ‘tough times pass’
– To stand with those bereaved by suicide so they are not alone
– To connect with others on a similar grief journey so we feel connected
– To raise funds to support bereavement support

How to participate:
Before the event
– Log on to our Facebook event and commit to attending the Walk –
– Log on to our Website to add the name of your loved one to our memorial board – coming soon
– Promote the event or your participation by using one of our ‘I am walking’ tiles (coming soon) to let your friends and family know why you are walking. I am walking…

Sunday 13th
10am
• Go to the event on Facebook or SPAN webpage
o watch our live feed from Johnson Park. SPAN member Ben LeFevre will welcome us to the event
o View the list of names of those lost to suicide or view the memorial board
Between 10 and 12
• Check in to the event on Facebook
Participate in the virtual walk. There is no right way to do this, but please follow social distancing and current Level 3 restrictions.
o You may want to walk somewhere important for your loved one
o If you have a SPAN T-shirt or hat you could wear this
o You may want to carry a photo of your loved one
o You may want to connect by phone with other loved ones by phone and talk while you walk
o You may want to walk alone
o You may want to carry a sign
• Please take a take a photo of yourself walking and post on Facebook or email to hope@bereavement.org.au with the tag #Iamwalking
• If you are fundraising, please notify your family and friends.

After the event
• Look out for the video of all your photos. We will put the photos and names into a video which will be available on the Span Website and Facebook page.
• Feel free to share your story or offer words of support to other bereaved by suicide.