Suicide prevention, counselling and sharing problems highlighted in second Hong Kong Darkness into Light walk
The 5km walk, that aims to raise money for counselling and suicide prevention services, originated in Dublin in 2009 and has since spread globally. The May 12 event will take place in 180 locations around the world
Take a wander through Sheung Wan and Central at 5am on most Saturday mornings and chances are the only people you’ll encounter will be dog-walkers, early bird joggers and homeward-bound revellers. But on the morning of May 12, the districts will play host to a different demographic as the yellow-shirted participants of the second annual Darkness into Light (DIL) event in Hong Kong take to the streets.
As one in six Hong Kong people suffers from mental illness, Dr Lucy Lord talks about how the city can change its outlook
Started in 2009 by Ireland-based non-profit organisation Pieta House, which was set up in 2006 to offer free counselling to the suicidal and those who have been affected by suicide, DIL is a 5km dawn march that raises awareness and funds for suicide prevention services.
From the initial 400-person event in Dublin’s Phoenix Park, the event has since spread across Ireland, the UK and around the world, with more than 180,000 people taking part globally in 2017.
This year will see DIL walks take place on the same day in a record 180 locations, including cities in South Africa, Spain, Poland, Germany, Iceland, Canada, the UAE, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea.
Spearheading this year’s Hong Kong edition is Irishman Stephen Togher, picking up the baton from countryman Niall Kelly, who was the driving force behind the inaugural walk in 2017 before leaving for Australia. It is, says Togher, an event that has both a practical and a symbolic significance.
