Walk from the dark into light in aid of

Pieta House

FINAL preparations are well underway for the biggest ever annual Pieta House ‘Darkness Into Light’ fundraiser which will take place as day breaks over the country on Saturday, May 11.

The flagship annual fundraiser for Pieta House, the high-profile event has helped raise vital funds for the charity, which free counselling to those suffering from suicide ideation, people who self-harm and bereaved who have lost a loved one through suicide.

Pieta House has more than 240 qualified therapists in 15 centres across the country and a 24/7 helpline and text service, ensuring help is at hand around the clock for those in crisis.

Since it was established the charity has provided counselling to more than 44,000 people, with almost 7,500 people coming through their doors in 2018 alone.

Their Suicide Bereavement Liaison Service offers practical and emotional support to bereaved families in their own homes or at place of their choice.

Pieta house also provides support to children and adolescents through their Resilience Academy, a six-week programme for secondary schools dedicated to promoting positive mental health.

Of course, none of this would be possible without the support of the public through events such as Darkness Into Light, which started in 2009 with 400 people donning the now iconic yellow t-shirts and walking a round a 5km course around Dublin’s Phoenix Park.

Since then the event has grown with each passing year into a global phenomenon, with more than 200,000 taking part at 150 locations, in 16 countries across five continents in 2018.

It is predicted that numbers will increase again this year, with walks taking place at more than 200 locations in 19 countries.

Held in association with Electric Ireland, Darkness into Light will commence at 4.15am, with people encouraged to walk or run a 5km route, with the dawn start, signifying hope and symbolising the work done by Pieta House.

Once again there will be plenty of opportunities for Cork people to participate, with individual events taking place at 24 locations across the country.

These will include day-break walks in Ballincollig, Ballyvourney, Blarney, Fermoy, Inchigeelagh, Kanturk, Mallow, Mitchelstown

Ex-pats have also been busy helping to organise events at locations across the globe including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa and countries across Europe.

For full details of the various Darkness Into Light 2019 walks taking place across Cork and to register for one of them visit www.pietahouse.ie.