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WHEREAS, the 14th annual Pittsburgh Out of the Darkness Walk will be held on Saturday, August 27th at the Highmark Stadium in Station Square; and,
WHEREAS, Out of the Darkness Walks are designed to raise awareness and funds for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP); and,
WHEREAS, in 1987, a group of caring families who each lost someone to suicide, joined with mental health professionals and scientists to create AFSP who strive to offer education programs for professionals, educate the public about mood disorders and suicide prevention, provide programs and resources for survivors of suicide loss and people at risk and involve them in the work of the Foundation, promote policies and legislation that impact suicide and prevention and fund scientific research; and,
WHEREAS, 42,773 Americans die each year from suicide making it the 10th leading cause of death in the United States; and,
WHEREAS, on average, 1 person dies by suicide in the state of Pennsylvania every five hours; and,
WHEREAS, although there is no single cause for suicide, it most often occurs when individuals suffering from a mental health condition do not have the coping abilities to handle stress in their life. In addition, conditions like depression, anxiety and substance problems, especially when unaddressed, increase the risk for suicide; and,
WHEREAS, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is on a mission to save lives and help those affected by suicide loss; and,
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby commend the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for the work they do in helping to educate and prevent suicide and encourage Pittsburgh residents to take part in the Out of the Darkness Walk on August 27th; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare Saturday, August 27, 2016 to be “Out of the Darkness Day” in the City of Pittsburgh.