Shining a light of hope

 

Joan Freeman, founder and CEO of suicide crisis centre Pieta House, was in Ennis on Thursday last to launch the third annual Darkness into Light event.

Ennis is one of 20 locations this year hosting Darkness into Light, a unique 5km walk/run, which begins in darkness at 4am and ends as dawn is breaking. It will take place on Saturday, May 11 at Lees Road and organisers are hoping for a turnout of several thousand people.

Throwing their weight behind the campaign are the Clare hurlers, who were represented at the launch by manager, Davy Fitzgerald.

“Last year’s Darkness into Light event in Ennis was one of the biggest in the country and I know we can grow it even more this year. Back in 2011, Clare was one of the original counties outside of Dublin to come on board and the support over the past few years has been incredible,” Ms Freeman said.

At the launch, Tom McEvoy, Ennis organiser of Darkness into Light, said he has been overwhelmed by the growing support for the event and hopes even more people will turn out this year.

“The first year we had 550 people show, which was a tremendous turnout. The second year we had double the numbers, 1,100, which was amazing; we didn’t think we would ever see that level of volume. This year we’re not expecting double; that would be a big ask but we would expect a good turnout.

“It is all down to having a Pieta House close by in Mungret in Limerick for the people of Clare. This year we have had a 47% increase in the volume of people attending Pieta House. That is nationwide but particularly included in that is Limerick. There is a significant increase in the number of people attending from this region in Clare. People need to be aware of the facility that Pieta House gives to people in Clare. So this is about creating awareness of that facility,” Mr McEvoy said.

Ms Freeman encouraged people to come along on the day, not just because it is a fundraiser but because it gives people hope and creates awareness of the work Pieta House does.

“Pieta House is all about hope and we provide and feed people of the joy and hope of life, encouraging them to survive. Darkness into Light is our main fundraiser and means that a successful event provides more therapists, to encounter more people. Our service is free of charge and we have also removed other barriers. Anybody can make that call; you don’t need a GP referral. In Limerick, we have extended our opening hours. We are open two nights a week until 9pm and we are open all day Saturday and, eventually, we will be open Sunday as well. Tom says he doesn’t expect the turnout to be double this year but I believe it will be double,” she said.

Speaking of last year, Davy Fitzergald said it was amazing to see all different age groups there who wanted to be there; who had to get up at 2am and 3am to be there. He said it had hit a special chord in a lot of people’s lives.

Darkness into Light Clare was also supported on Thursday last by Mayor of Clare Pat Daly, Councillor James Breen and town councillors Michael Guilfoyle and Mary Coote Ryan. Also there were Mark and Caroline Winder, parents of Clare teenager, William Winder who died by suicide last year.

Event registration is available online now at dil.pieta.ie and pre-registration events will take place throughout Ennis in the coming weeks. The first will be held in The Square, Ennis on Saturday, April 20 from 11am to 2pm, followed by two further events at Lees Road and in the board room of the Temple Gate Hotel simultaneously on Thursday, May 9 from 6pm to 8pm. Participants will be able to collect their t-shirts at these pre-registration events to save time queuing on the day of the walk.

Following last year’s large turnout, bus transfers will run this year to Lees Road, departing the Temple Gate Hotel car park from 2.30am on Saturday, May 11 to help alleviate traffic on Lees Road.