This post was updated Oct. 5 at 3:45 p.m.
Over 1,000 people gathered in Wilson Plaza on Sunday morning for Alive Together, a five-kilometer walk that mourns those who died by suicide and raises mental health awareness.
During the annual event hosted by Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, participants walked and ran around UCLA while volunteers handed out mental health resources in Wilson Plaza. The event raises money for Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, which runs the country’s largest suicide prevention hotline that serves around 200,000 people per year, said Robin Hyerstay, the organization’s director of development.
Dino Alzadon, Didi Hirsch’s program coordinator, said the organization hosts a free, anonymous and confidential hotline at 988.
Hyerstay said the 5K walk was created 26 years ago when a community member lost someone to suicide and wanted to raise money in memory of that person.
Nearly 50,000 people died by suicide in 2022, and 40% of surveyed teens – with higher rates among girls and LGBTQ+ youth – reported feeling sad and hopeless, said Alzadon.
This year’s walk, the first held on UCLA grounds, raised $417,000, Hyerstay said.
“We hold space for any type of emotion or struggle,” said Brian Cook, a UCLA alumnus and participant.
Cook, who volunteers with Didi Hirsch, said the organization brings people together, adding that he decided to participate in the walk to honor the memory of a neighbor who died by suicide.
“Everyone here, I would imagine, genuinely wants to be here for other people,” Cook said. “This community is very unique in that we are interested in people beyond the surface level, and we want to know about each other … and how we can best show up.”
Ran Hu, a bioinformatics doctoral student, said she joined Alive Together because it is important for students to take care of themselves and each other while dealing with the pressures of everyday life.
Bradley Ni, a graduate student in business administration, added that he was running in honor of therapists, the clinical director of the Suicide Prevention Counseling Center and everyone struggling with mental health issues.
“It feels like there’s a lot of shame (in mental health struggles), but there is no shame in it,” Ni said. “It’s just asking for help and knowing there’s a lot of people that care for you, love you, and there’s things like this that exist.”
Shari Sinwelski, the vice president of crisis care at Didi Hirsch, said she hopes Alive Together brings people together and gives them reassurance.
“You can do so much by just listening and being available to share someone else’s struggle,” Cook said. “Sometimes it’s not about coming up with a solution. … Sometimes people just want to be listened to, so that’s what we try and do here.”
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