Capital Region Construction Hike for Hope

Join us on June 7, 2025

2025 Thacher Park Hike Away the Dark

Capital Region Construction Hike for Hope
06/07/2025

Hike with us to fight suicide!

Date: 06/07/2025
Location: John Boyd Thacher State Park, Voorheesville, NY
On-Site Registration Starts: 7:00 pm at the Thacher Park Visitors' Center.
Program Starts: 8:30 pm

Contact for event info, to volunteer, or for sponsorship:

Missy Stolfi
518-791-1544, mstolfi@afsp.org

Presented in partnership with

Hike for Hope provides an opportunity to enjoy our natural surroundings and acknowledge the ways in which suicide and mental health conditions have affected our lives and the lives of those we care about. We hope you will join us in the beautiful setting of the John Boyd Thacher State Park for this hope-filled event.

Our first-ever Thacher Park event will be a Luminary hike along the escarpment during sunset, with lit bags guiding the way, honoring loved ones and our reasons for hiking for AFSP. This is an all-ages event, and all are welcome to participate. Stay tuned for more details on pre-hike activities!

We are also excited to partner with area construction and building trade organizations to highlight AFSP's new initiative engaging the construction industry in the fight to end suicide.

According to the CDC's data on suicide risk within occupational groups, the construction and extraction industries were found to have the highest rate of suicide in the United States. The goal of our Construction Hike for Hope initiative is to improve the mental health of construction workers through effective suicide prevention education, intervention and postvention strategies to encourage, equip and empower mental health champions in the workforce. Visit afsp.org/construction for more information.

Event Schedule and Park Info

7:00pm: Arrive at the Thacher Park Visitor Center Located at 830 Thacher Park Road, Voorheesville, NY 12186. Park your vehicle (no fee after 5:30pm), register, and a shuttle will take you to the Overlook. At the Overlook there will be an opportunity to decorate a luminary bag to honor a loved one, community organizations/ partners, and a food truck (A&S Spice on Wheels).

Accessible parking and vendor parking available at Overlook.

Between 7:00pm-8:00pm: Shuttles will bring people from the Visitor Center to the Overlook.

8:15pm: Pre-remarks from speakers, moment of silence, speakers, step off for hike. The trail will be light up and volunteers will be placed along the route to guide participants. Participants will place their luminary bags and tee lights along the route as the hike.

8:30pm - Hike information: 0.75-mile hike at 1136ft of elevation. Trail tread material is compacted soil with a base layer of shale. Hiking route will descend down a flight five stone steps in the begging. Hiking route crosses two wooden elevated pedestrian bridges that are 10ft long and 8ft wide, there is a step to get on and off the bridges.

9:15pm-10:30pm: Participants will arrive back at the Visitor Center. All are Welcomed to stay at the Visitor Center until 10:30pm to enjoy a fire and s'mores.

Leashed dogs are allowed and must be under the control of their owner at all times and picked up after.

Please bring your own water bottle as Thacher is a no-plastic site! There will be water coolers available to refill your container as needed.

Hike Map & Directions

Arrive at the Thacher Park Visitor Center (830 Thacher Park Rd, Voorheesville, NY 12186). The Visitor Center is the star on the map. Fill out the sign-in sheet and a free shuttle bus will take you to the Overlook. The ride is only about 5 minutes in duration. There will be a volunteer in a reflective vest to answer any questions!

Thank you to our supporters!

Get Started

Register! There is no fee or
fundraising minimum to participate.
Share your fundraising page
link on social media,
via text, or by email.

Spread the word with
social shareables, and be sure
to include a link to your page!

Earn a T-Shirt & Gifts

Individually raise $150+
by 06/07/2025 to receive a
Hike for Hope t-shirt at the event.

View 2025 recognition gifts here.

Sponsor

Sponsoring the
Capital Region Construction Hike for Hope
shows your community
and employees that you care
about mental health.

Click here (coming soon!) to view our
sponsor options, and contact
Missy Stolfi for more
information at mstolfi@afsp.org.

Fundraise on Facebook

Creating a Facebook Fundraiser
through your AFSP DonorDrive
account is easy!
Do not create a fundraiser
through Facebook directly.

Note: Sharing a Facebook
Fundraiser on Instagram will not
connect with your fundraising page.

Volunteer

Event Committee and
Day-of Hike volunteers
help to make the
Capital Region Construction Hike for Hope
a success.

Click here to learn more about volunteering with AFSP.

Download the App

Hike Day Activities

On-Site

Check out our family-friendly onsite activities, including our resource area, photo booth, children's activities, and more.

Honor Beads

Complimentary Honor Beads
will be available on-site to show
your connection(s) to the cause.

Hope & Healing

Stop by our Hope & Healing area
to share messages of hope and remembrance.

FAQs

Is there a registration fee?

There is no registration fee or
fundraising minimum to participate.

We encourage each participant
to set a $150 fundraising goal to help support AFSP's work to stop suicide
and receive the official hike t-shirt!

Do you have to work in construction to attend the Construction Hike for Hope?

No! This event brings awareness and resources to employees of the construction industry, but also to their families, loved ones, and friends. It is open to anyone in the community who would like to participate.

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 on the form.

DonorDrive Charity Fundraising App