On November 8th, the Eta Psi chapter of Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) partnered with Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) and held an event called “Bridging the Silence,” which consisted of a six-mile walk across the Pensacola Bay Bridge.
Santi Granducci, the Vice President of Alpha Tau Omega, said, “We had around 150 people show up to the event. We were extremely happy with the turnout and hope for it to get bigger and bigger as the years go on.”
The brothers of ATO, UWF students, as well as family and friends, joined together for the walk, holding signs as they crossed the bridge to bring awareness to the cause.
The first three miles across the bridge were walked in silence to honor those who have lost their lives to suicide. Before walking back, they provided snacks and water for the walkers and brothers from ATO, as well as a representative from SAVE took the time to speak to everyone about what the cause means to them.
The last three miles back were meant for people to walk and talk, and make new connections with those around them.
“The event meant the absolute world to the brothers of ATO,” said Santi, “Many of us have been personally affected by suicide at one point throughout our lives, and even the brothers that haven’t support the cause as if they have been. It was an idea that took months upon months to plan, and seeing it come into fruition was nothing short of amazing.”
Throughout their week of fundraising and events, the brothers of ATO raised around $40,000 for SAVE.
A little bit about SAVE
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, also known as SAVE, is a national nonprofit that works to prevent the tragedy of suicide through education, advocacy, lethal means safety efforts, and support for suicide loss survivors.
In August of 1989, six couples from Minneapolis came together after they had all lost a child to suicide. Together, they created SAVE in order to educate individuals and communities about suicide prevention and to be a voice for suicide loss survivors.
In 2024, SAVE reported almost $1.03 million in revenue from fundraising through events and individual campaigning.
Through their website SAVE.org , they provide resources for not just loss survivors, but also those who are struggling with thoughts of suicide or those who have attempted suicide. They offer crisis services, support groups, and more.
Through the “learn” tab on their website, they provide educational opportunities like warning signs of suicide, statistics, common misconceptions, preventing suicide, risk factors/protective factors, and more.
SAVE gives anyone and everyone the opportunity to make a difference. You can become a volunteer through their website and help fundraise and advocate.
Resources at UWF
The University of West Florida offers Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) designed to help students who are struggling with their mental health.
College can be a hard adjustment for many. At CAPS, they offer a wide variety of counseling and psychological services that are designed to help students in managing, coping, and growing during their transition into college life.
At CAPS, the main objective is to guide students and help them develop the self-awareness and skills necessary to overcome obstacles and make the most out of their college experience.
CAPS offers triage sessions to help identify what level of care students need. To make a triage appointment, call their office at (850) 474-2420 during their service hours (Monday – Friday, 8 am to 5 pm).
They also offer self-help resources for all current students. Within those resources, they have TalkCampus, which is a free and anonymous peer support network that can be used to help students during their time at UWF.
Suicide Statistics
According to SAVE.org,
- Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States
- In 2023, 49,316 Americans died by suicide
- In 2023, 1.5 million Americans attempted suicide
- On average, there are about 135 suicide deaths per day
- The suicide rate among males is approximately four times higher than the rate among females
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the 24/7/365 free national suicide hotline by dialing 988. Or for local support, call 211, text your local ZIP code to 898-211, or visit 211.org.
