CARLISLE, Pa. — One family's lives were changed forever in 2014, when they lost a beloved son and nephew to suicide.
Christopher Seiff's relatives have organized a walk in conjunction with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) in his memory ever since, striving to help others fighting the same battle and connect families with mental health resources.
"In a place like this, there's a lot of opportunities and a lot of resources and definitely a ton of support," Jennifer Schwalm, Seiff's mom, said.
The Carlisle Out of the Darkness Walk has been held at the Carlisle Fairgrounds since 2015, and the family has no plans of putting an end to it.
At a ceremony held before the walk, attendees selected "honor beads" that represented their reason for participating. Each differently-colored bead represented a type of connection to the cause, whether that be the loss of someone close, their own struggles with mental health or simply signifying their support.
"Being here and seeing all the people affected by it, it's almost healing," Tricia Carbaugh, chairperson of the Carlisle Out of the Darkness Walk and Seiff's aunt, said. "To have someone that understands exactly where you've been and where you're headed helps."
The event organizers set aside a quiet space for people to collect themselves. There was also a counselor available to talk.
The group hopes to raise $20,000 by the end of December to assist the mental health crisis. Donations can be made here.
The family encourages anyone struggling to reach out to AFSP to be connected with resources and help.