(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Saturday, Nov. 23 is International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, and a local event in Colorado Springs will be held in support of the global effort.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), each year organizations around the globe hold in-person events for survivors of suicide loss to come together “to find connection, understanding, and hope through their shared experience.”
“In 1999, Senator Harry Reid, who lost his father to suicide, introduced a resolution to the United States Senate, leading to the creation of International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day,” according to AFSP’s website. “Also known as Survivor Day, the day was designated by the United States Congress as a day on which those affected by suicide, can join together for healing and support.”
Saturday’s event in Colorado Springs will be held at Woodmen Valley Chapel, located at 290 East Woodmen Road from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Those who plan to attend are asked to register online and can do so at the link above.
The event is free and attendees are asked to park in the lower, back parking lot and to enter the building marked gymnasium. People are asked to bring a small picture of their loved ones for a photo button, and a light breakfast and lunch will also be served. Children are welcome, but according to event organizers, childcare will not be available.
If people are unable to make the in-person events, there are two virtual events that AFSP hosts online; Survivor Day Live and Día De Esperanza (which is held the day before on Nov. 22).
According to AFSP, “It was determined that Survivor Day would always fall on the Saturday before American Thanksgiving, as the holidays are often a difficult time for suicide loss survivors.”
The Colorado Springs event is made possible by the sponsorship of AFSP and Heartbeat Survivors After Suicide, a local nonprofit.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. The 988 suicide and crisis lifeline can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone, chat or text. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
