OUT OF THE DARKNESS

Out of the Darkness

(Roadchix Walks to Help Suicide Prevention)

First and foremost, we would like to thank everyone who donated to this event. Roadchix was moved, inspired, fatigued, overjoyed, excited and thrilled to be a part of the first ever Out of the Darkness.

Mankind is inspiring. That is how we would encapsulate this fantastic experience. We walked among so many people touched and hurt by suicide that the emotion of this event was engulfing, moving, but most of all inspiring. We both feel proud and honored to have been a part of this event.

A New Friend. We made a new friend in the process of participating in this event. We have squared Beth, because our new friend's name was Beth too! We met her through DC Web Women and you'll see her picture peppered throughout this tale. We had a great time swapping stories and tales, you really get to know someone after 28 miles!

The Beginning. We began in Annandale at Northern Virgina Community College at 5:30 pm on Saturday night where we waited for opening ceremonies to begin. After the opening, we began to leave the campus in a massive herd that funneled down to a line around 7:00 pm.

I believe those first 5 miles were the absolute worst for me (Roadchick K). I was sure I wouldn't make it to the end. But people are inspiring and the energy created by over 3,000 walkers just carries you along with it.

Are We There Yet? We wound our way through Virginia on parts of the Washington - Old Dominion Trail and the Custis Trails. We walked along Lee Highway and were cheered on by spectators. We had about 14 rest stops and pit stops. The Palotta Teamworks crew and the volunteers were fantastic. Every two to four miles, we were able to refuel and partake of the conveniently located Porta Potties. Each Pit Stop had a theme ranging from Harry Potter, which featured everything from volunteers dressed up as wizards to trivia questions posted on the outside of porta potties with the answers posted inside.

We hydrated and stretched and hydrated and stretched at every stop. And we followed the constant refrain of every Palotta Event: "Stay Alert - Stay Alive!" Sounds corny, but it works, you'd be surprised how tired you are at 3:30 am after walking 20 miles.

And then we would chug on down the trail, where volunteers were waiting to cheer us on and help us along. We really cannot tell you how organized and enjoyable Palotta made this event. So one more thank you if you'll allow us: Thank you Palotta Teamworks!

And On We Go. Our participation in this event took place over 15 hours. A little bit more than expected, but every minute was worth it. Near the end of our journey we had reached the front of the pack, because we were on a roll. Unfortunately, the one mistake the promoters made that day was to send us over the wrong bridge and we had to stop and retrace our steps on the Roosevelt Bridge. We ended up walking down the GW Parkway 2 more bridges to the Memorial Bridge.

That was daunting. Walking 2 miles out of the way. But we made it. The sun rose and it was like we were surrounded by hope. We met survivors of suicide attempts and people who were survivors of friends or family who had committed suicide. We were inspired and embraced by the feeling of community and kindness that people coming together in a cause ignites.

Thank You Again. So thank you so much to everyone who donated. You can feel good about yourself because any amount you donated to this cause has most definitely saved a life.

If you are interested in participating or in donating to Out of the Darkness, you can find additional information at http://www.theOvernight.org.