Long Valley Student Chairing Suicide Prevention Walk In South Carolina

LONG VALLEY, NJ— A Long Valley native is chairing her college's annual Out Of The Darkness Walk to benefit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, an event that's deeply personal.

Alexis Kalmus, 21, lost her grandfather, retired Parsippany Police Officer Stephen Kalmus to suicide in 2011. Less than a year prior, a classmate of Kalmus' had also died by suicide.

Since then the Kalmus family has been active in suicide prevention efforts, and this year, the family will walk together at the University of South Carolina, where Kalmus currently studies. She is co-chairing the walk along with close friend Brittany Wilson.

"Throughout my 21 years of life, I've seen suicide and depression cast dark shadows over the families and friends of acquaintances. It wasn't until I lost a family member of my own to suicide 5 years ago that I realized what a severe pain and affect that mental illness and suicide have on those who suffer and survivors," Kalmus wrote.

"I am so incredibly proud and honored to be chairing the 2017 Out of the Darkness Campus Walk. I look forward to facing the challenges, responsibilities, and stress that this position will bring with my co-chair, and one of my best friends, Brittany Wilson, by my side," Kalmus said on her fundraising page.

You can donate to Kalmus' team by clicking here.

Read more about the Kalmus family's efforts:

• LV Family to Walk for Suicide Awareness
• Teen's Personal Loss Spurs Suicide Awareness
• 11-Year-Old Walks for Family, Suicide Prevention

Image: Patch File Photo