The walk first took place in 2009 in Dublin, when over 400 people came together at 4 o’clock in the morning to walk side by side towards the rising sun. The symbolic walk towards the light of dawn, Luxembourg organizers Lynda Jacob and Emma Farrell say, “allows people who have been bereaved by suicide to pay homage to their loved ones, and shows those who are struggling that they are not alone and that even in the darkest of moments there flickers a ray of hope.”
This annual walk of hope has grown into a global movement, with more than 200,000 people taking part in 203 venues across 21 countries and 5 continents in 2019. Recent years have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic but this year the walk returns for 2022. “Due to the pandemic our walk was cancelled in 2020. In 2021, walking as a large group was impossible to plan, but a slightly scaled-down version of Darkness into Light did take place, with more than 250 people participating either individually or in small groups.”
Emma Farrell & Lynda Jacob join the Sam Steen Show to head up this year’s Charity Walk
The Darkness Into Light Luxembourg walk first took place in Luxembourg on 11 May 2019, when around 450 people donned a yellow t-shirt and braved the torrential rain to walk together, at 5 o’clock in the morning.
Not only did the organisation raise over 33,000 euros to help three charities in their work of preventing suicide and providing vital support, but together, “as we walked in a sea of yellow through the picturesque streets of beautiful Luxembourg, we experienced the power of hope and demonstrated the strength of community”.
As the possibility to walk at any time of the day in 2021 was much appreciated by some participants, this option has been maintained for 2022, so there is now the option to join the organised group walk at 5am, set yourself a challenge or walk whenever and wherever you want for this worthy cause.
Date: Saturday 7 May 2021 at 5 amwww.darknessintolight.ie/fundraisers/dilluxdillux
