Nearly 2,000 people gathered at Piers 16 and 17 in Manhattan's Seaport District on Sunday for the Out of the Darkness Community Walk, a noncompetitive one- to three-mile event organized to raise awareness about suicide prevention and chip away at the stigma surrounding mental health struggles. Walkers shared stories of loss, recovery and hope throughout the morning, according to CBS News, and organizers said donations tied to the event had already topped $300,000.
The walk was hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, which runs the annual event to fund suicide-prevention research, education and advocacy efforts nationwide, as CBS News New York reported. The Seaport walk is one of several the AFSP's New York City chapter held this year, following earlier events on September 20 at Wolfe's Pond Park and October 4 at Cadman Plaza Park. The program at the piers included an opening ceremony, resource tables, activities centered on hope and healing, and complimentary honor beads for every participant, according to the organization's own event listing.
An Emcee's Own Story of Survival
Cindy Hsu was one of Sunday’s emcees and led the honor bead ceremony. CBS News reported that Hsu experienced severe depression and attempted suicide 11 years before the walk, and that she has credited AFSP with supporting her afterward.
The ceremony used colored beads to represent participants’ connections to suicide prevention, including the loss of a loved one, personal experience or a supporter’s role, according to CBS News. The outlet also reported that attendee Courtney Concepcio encouraged people who are struggling to speak up and ask for help, while fellow participant Mariel Ynoa said she uses her voice to remind people that a beautiful life can lie ahead despite hard struggles.
Why Organizers Say Sharing Stories Matters
Jill Harkavy-Friedman, speaking for AFSP, told CBS News that sharing personal experiences and finding support can help people who are struggling. Organizers said the foundation was still working toward its overall fundraising goal.
Those fundraising efforts land against a backdrop of easing but uneven trends in the city's suicide data. Citywide suicide deaths fell from a peak of 601 in 2022 to 535 in 2024, according to Gothamist, which put the city's 2024 suicide rate at 5.9 deaths per 100,000 people, less than half the national rate of 13.7. But the outlet reported that Manhattan residents died by suicide at the highest rate of any borough in 2024, that rates were highest among adults ages 18 to 24, and that men were more than twice as likely as women to die by suicide that year. Gothamist also found that the suicide rate among Latino New Yorkers rose from 3.8 per 100,000 in 2015 to 5.4 per 100,000 in 2024.
A Statewide Need for More Mental Health Resources
AFSP sponsorship materials cite a broader statewide toll, noting that 1,717 people died by suicide in New York state in 2023. The same materials report that 49% of New York communities did not have enough mental health providers to serve residents that year, underscoring the access gaps the foundation's programs aim to address.
Crisis support and the walk’s roots
In 2025 testimony, the NYC Health Department said people can contact NYC 988 by call, text or chat at any time of day or night to reach a trained crisis counselor or peer support specialist. The testimony describes how to reach the service; the Health Resources and Services Administration says mental-health provider shortage designations can apply to areas, population groups or facilities, so a designation alone does not establish an individual resident’s access to care or suicide risk.
AFSP recounts that its separate 2004 Atlanta Community Walk drew 248 people at Piedmont Park and raised $57,000—an early local example distinct from the Manhattan event.
The AFSP's New York City chapter says it delivered 92 education programs to more than 6,000 attendees in fiscal year 2025, and it continues to offer suicide-prevention presentations, educational programs and professional training to individuals, organizations and employers across the city. The Out of the Darkness movement itself traces back to 2004, according to the Seaport's own event page, and its Community Walks are now held in hundreds of communities nationwide. Donations tied to the 2026 New York City walks remain open through December 31.
