Hundreds of walkers gather for suicide prevention

Oakland’s annual Out of Darkness suicide prevention walk was born out of tragedy.

In 2008, Teresa Ferguson’s daughter, Virginia “Ginny” Kleker, died by suicide at the site where, 17 years earlier, her grandmother had died during the devastating 1991 fire in the Oakland hills.

Kleker, then 31, was an artist in Oakland, engaged to be married.

“Her would-be bridesmaids all called me and said, ‘We want to do something to honor her memory,’” Ferguson said. “‘We’re thinking about doing this walk for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and would you help us,’ and I said, ‘Well of course.’”

The next year, in 2009, Ferguson helped organize the first suicide prevention walk at dawn around Lake Merritt.

There were about 50 participants that first time, she said. This year, she estimated that 800 walkers came to honor friends or family members who had died from — or attempted — suicide.

For dozens of members of Psi Chi Omega, an Asian American fraternity with chapters at colleges in Northern California, the walk has become an annual tradition, started after a fraternity member died by suicide several years ago.

“I’m from (UC) Davis, but there’s a lot of brothers from different chapters,” said Vinh Nguyn, a freshman participating in his first walk. “We have people from San Jose, Santa Cruz, San Francisco.”

The Oakland event, one of more than 400 such walks around the country, raised about $70,500 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, according to the organization’s website.

Ferguson, who is still the co-chair of the annual walk, said the walk has taken on a life of its own.

“It’s just unbelievable,” she said, adding that at first she struggled to get sponsors and now companies call her, asking if the event is coming up so that they can donate coffee or donuts.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273TALK (8255).