Members of the Martha’s Vineyard community gathered before sunrise on Saturday at State Beach to participate in the ninth annual Darkness Into Vineyard Light walk, an event that raises awareness about suicide prevention.
The event began in 2018, started by Maria Ventura and John Murray, but this year will potentially be the final walk as the organizers are stepping down.
“Over the years, we have had so many different stories and there’s been such a support from the community,” said Ms. Ventura. “[John and I] didn’t know each other, then we were put into connection, and that’s how this was formed.”
Ms. Ventura lost her father to suicide in 2006, and Mr. Murray, who is originally from Ireland, held similar walks there.
Often, because there is a sense of shame surrounding suicide, people don’t like to talk about it, Mr. Murray said.
“People can come and show their support and talk about their feelings or about a lost one rather than keeping it to themselves,” he said.
Before the walk began, members from Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s Hope Squad, a peer-to-peer high school program that was started last year to provide information and services for suicide awareness and prevention, spoke about the stigmas surrounding suicide.
“Everybody can fall into that darkness,” said Lucas Martins, a senior at MVRHS and a member of the Hope Squad. “Suicide is the silent killer that doesn’t discriminate, tall or short, big or small. Anybody can fall into that darkness, but that’s why we’re here today to bring that darkness to light.”
Participants carried candles as they walked from Bend in the Road to the Big Bridge and back. Jamie Douglas played the bagpipes as the procession passed over the bridge and the first rays of the sun appeared on the horizon.
“We’re such a small Island, and because of that, we have the opportunity to look out for each other and spread this positivity everywhere,” said Essie Catina, a sophomore at MVRHS and another member of the Hope Squad. “We can’t solve everything overnight, but small things can create big changes.”
After returning to Bend in the Road, participants shared coffee and donuts along with personal experiences. Nearby, a banner was mounted on a board for people to inscribe messages to loved ones lost to suicide.
Although Ms. Ventura and Mr. Murray will no longer be organizing the event, they are hoping it can continue without them.
“The need for conversations about mental health and suicide prevention does not end here,” said Ms. Ventura. “The light that this community has created must continue to shine. We have already been contacted by several individuals and organizations interested in continuing Darkness Into Vineyard Light, and we’re incredibly hopeful.”
If you or anyone you know has thoughts of committing suicide, please call the national suicide hotline by dialing 988.
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