Kingfisher County will host an opportunity this fall for community members to help prevent suicide and those affected by it.

On Saturday, Nov. 2, an American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Out of the Darkness Walk will be held at Newfield Park in Kingfisher.

Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m., with the approximate 5K walk to follow at 10 a.m.

The event has special meaning for a local organizer.

Since losing their 15-year-old son, Donnie, to suicide in 2016, Stephanie and Nathan Guinn, their daughter Erin and other family members have been participating in the AFSP Out of the Darkness Walk in Oklahoma City.

This year, Stephanie Guinn is taking on the role of coordinator for the first Out of the Darkness event to be held in Kingfisher County.

The Guinns live in Dover, where Erin is a freshman at Dover High School, Nathan is a school board member and Stephanie is a teacher at Hennessey Public Schools.

Hoping to make it an annual event, Stephanie said she’s excited to bring the fundraiser close to home.

Most walks are held in September during National Suicide Prevention Month, but Stephanie said the November date was chosen to avoid conflicts with existing fundraising events, plus the weather should be cooler at time.

AFSP’s mission is to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide, through funding mental health and suicide prevention grants, creating evidence-informed educational programs, supporting survivors of suicide loss and advocating for legislation that is smart about mental health and suicide prevention.

“The organization helps bring programs into schools and mental health facilities to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide,” Stephanie said.

“It also helps fund the 988 suicide and crisis hotline and, since the organization is a nonprofit, its largest form of fundraising comes from these walks throughout the country.”

A fundraising goal of $10,000 has been set for the local walk, Stephanie said.

Corporate sponsorships are being accepted at varying

levels and the deadline to receive those is Sept. 1.

Stephanie said they have received several local corporate sponsorships to date, including an in-kind donation of water bottles and other donations totaling $2,035.

Individuals and teams can register to participate in the upcoming walk on AFSP’s website ( https://bit. ly/3WLY9TA).

When people sign up to walk, as an individual or a team, they have their own fundraising page on the organization’s website where friends and family members can donate, supporting their designated goal, Stephanie said.

Individuals can donate online or print off the offline donation form and then mail a check. Those donations are due by Dec. 31.

A total of 49 participants have registered so far, Stephanie said, and a list of participants can be viewed on the “Kingfisher Walk” tab on the AFSP website.

As in previous walks, Stephanie’s family members will be participating as team “Do It For Donnie” (DIFD), a phrase coined by Donnie’s classmates after his death.

With so many people affected by suicide, Stephanie said at previous events she’s seen a large number of teams who walk together with matching shirts in support of a family member who lost their life to suicide and it is a humbling experience.

“Even though you’ve lived through it, you’re still humbled and in total awe when you see so many other people who’ve been affected,” Stephanie commented.

After their son’s death, The Donnie Guinn Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to benefit seniors of Dover High School who are planning to pursue higher education upon gradthat uation.

Many $500 scholarships have been awarded in the past eight years, Stephanie said, including a scholarship for every eligible senior in Donnie’s graduating class of 2018.

“Suicide, in some way, has affected the majority of the members of the community,” Stephanie said.

“We need to bring more awareness and it needs to be talked about more often so that people who are in that state of mind realize that they’re not alone, they’re not different and that it’s okay to not be okay, so they can seek the help they need.

“We all need to come together and show support for those affected by suicide.”

On Tuesday, July 30 from 5 to 8 p.m., at Dover Christian Church, Guinn will be available to answer questions and help anyone interested in registering for the walk or becoming a sponsor. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information contact Stephanie Guinn at (405) 368-3101 or Sguinn@ live. com.