Mental health awareness advocate Michelle Cogger is rallying people to come together to support one another after some tough times over the past few years.
The Hope Walk is being held this Sunday to bring people together and to raise awareness about suicide and mental health.
‘‘It is a hope walk for those who are struggling, those who have lost someone to suicide and for those who are here to support them.’’
It is the furthest the event has been held out from international suicide awareness day, which is September 10, but Ms Cogger said she was glad to see the walk taking place again.
She said smaller communities get overlooked compared with bigger towns.
‘‘Support like this needs to be in every community, the smaller communities should not be forgotten.’’
Nearly seven years ago, she lost her son, Ryan Weaver-Cogger (27), to suicide, and she has been trying to normalise talking about it since.
‘‘I want to get people talking about it — it’s almost seen as a shameful thing, and there are lots of people who believe they are on their own, and this walk is to show they are not alone, people are here for them and we care.’’
People are encouraged to come out dressed in yellow, which is the national colour for suicide awareness, and participants can bring their dogs along too.
Participation is by a gold coin donation per person, and people can buy T›shirts for the walk.
A scooter donated by local man Craig Harrison and his family will be raffled.
All proceeds will be given to AMPSS 101 (an addiction and mental health peer support service).
Ms Cogger said the organisers were keeping the money local in order to be able to help locals.
There will be a briefing at 10am, followed by the walk at 10.30am. The route is 3.2km, beginning at the Church St entrance of Centennial Park before ending at Caroline Bay.
Ms Cogger said she wanted to encourage people to bring a photo, a memoir or a personal belonging of someone they had lost, as she was planning to set up 607 crosses in memory of the 607 New Zealanders who were suspected to have died by suicide in the past financial year.
‘‘I want to have them personalised and I want everyone to talk, I want everyone to be open, I want everyone to check on their mates because I don’t want any more families going through and walking the path that we have.’’
