Essex County Walk
Join us on October 27, 2024
Donate
Essex County Walk InformationDate: 10/27/2024 Register today! Click the button above to get started. Can't make it to this year's walk? Find another New Jersey Out of the Darkness Walk HERE! Walk Date: Sunday, 10/27/24 Walk Location: Verona Park Bandstand/Boathouse - 475 Bloomfield Ave, Verona, NJ 07044 Walk Day Activities: begin at 11:30 am Walk Ceremony: begins at 12:30 pm with the walk to immediately follow Walk Route: 1.2 miles around the lake Walk T-shirts: for everyone who raised $150 or more (individual fundraising, not team fundraising) - must be picked up on the day of the walk. **one shirt** Honor Beads: Honor Beads will be available on-site to show your connection(s) to the cause. Remembrance Activities: We will have numerous rembrance activities available this year. Something new will be a "Butterfly Garden". Feel free to bring in a 3x5 image of your loved one and you will be able to display on pre-cut butterfly which will then be displayed from string. We will have a Loss & Healing/Quiet Area on walk day. There will be resources available as well as ways to share hope and remembrance. This will be located inside the Verona Park Boathouse. Merchandise: New AFSP-NJ exclusive shirts will be available for purchase! Pets: Leashed, friendly dogs are welcome! Bathrooms: Bathrooms are available. Parking: Parking spaces closest to the Bandstand/Boathouse are limited and fill up quickly. You can find parking on Lakeside Ave. and use the Verona Park bridge. For questions, please contact: Marissa Vargas, AFSP-NJ Special Events Manager at mvargas@afsp.org |
Volunteer with us!
We are looking for volunteers to help plan the Essex County Walk!
Please reach out to mvargas@afsp.org for more details.
Make an Impact
FundraiseRegister! There is no fee or fundraising minimum. Share your fundraising page link on social media, via text, or by email.
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Become a Team CaptainOn average, team captains recruit 74% of the people who attend a non-profit Walk. Captains are essential! |
Walk AlumniThank you for joining us again this year! When registering, please click the blue link under "Been Here Before?" The fields below that are for creating new accounts.
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Promote the WalkFollow the @OOTDWalks accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Share your fundraising page and post about the Essex County Walk using the #OutoftheDarkness hashtag.
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Sponsorship OpportunitiesSponsoring the Essex County Walk shows your community and employees that you care about mental health. Reach out to Marissa Vargas at mvargas@afsp.org for more.
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VolunteerDay-of Walk volunteers help to make the Essex County Walk a success. Please fill out the form below. |
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Creating a Facebook Fundraiser through your AFSP DonorDrive account is easy! Do not create a fundraiser through Facebook directly. Sharing a Facebook Fundraiser on Instagram will not connect with your fundraising page. |
T-Shirts
Individually raise $150+ by 10/27/2024 for an Out of the Darkness Walk t-shirt at the event. |
Tutorials |
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FAQs
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Is there a registration fee? There is no registration fee or fundraising minimum to participate. We strongly encourage each participant to set a $150 fundraising goal to help support AFSP's work to stop suicide and receive the official walk t-shirt! |
If I raise enough money, will my whole team get a shirt? The event shirts are only given to individuals who raise $150 by 10/27/2024. If your whole team wants a shirt, each member must raise $150. |
How do I make an offline donation? To send a donation by check, please complete the Offline Donation Form and send it with your check to the address provided.
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Are dogs allowed? Yes, friendly, leashed dogs are welcome at this event. How do I change my team status? If you're already registered and looking to create a new team or join an existing one, simply log into your account and click "change team membership". |
Can I register at the Walk? You can register or donate in-person at the Walk by scanning a QR code. Walk donations are accepted until December 31st.
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Where can I find information on parking, the route, and the venue? That information is posted closer to Walk Day. For additional questions, please email mvargas@afsp.org. |
Walk Day Activities
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Healing Conversations
Healing Conversations gives those who have lost someone to suicide the opportunity to talk with our experienced volunteers. These AFSP volunteers, who are themselves survivors of suicide loss, offer understanding and guidance in the weeks and months following a suicide death.
Available in person, on the phone or by video chat, our volunteers are familiar with the isolation that so often accompanies a death of this kind, and are able to show suicide loss survivors a way forward into a world of support, by creating an opportunity for the newly bereaved to speak openly with, and ask questions of, someone who has been there, too, and truly gets it.
When someone contacts us to request a conversation, we will ask them some questions about their loss, so that we may match them with a suitable volunteer who has experienced a similar loss. Their peer support volunteer will contact them to schedule a conversation at a convenient time and, in the case of in-person visits, at a comfortable location of the person’s choice.
Submit the short online form here to request a meeting in person, by phone or by video call.
