Darkness Into Light, Pieta House’s flagship annual fundraising and awareness event, takes place countrywide on Saturday, 6th May.

Darkness Into Light (DIL) started in 2009 with approximately 400 people in the now iconic yellow DIL T-shirts walking the 5km course in Dublin’s Phoenix Park. This year, there will be somewhere in the region of 150 DIL venues across Ireland and worldwide. Last year over 130,000 people shared the light and helped promote suicide prevention and to tackle the stigma that leads people to the doors of Pieta House centres.

You must register online by April 27th to receive a T-shirt, and you must bring proof of registration (either printed or on your phone) to your event. Participants are advised to arrive 30 minutes before the start time, and must bring a torch for health and safety reasons. Registration fees are €25 for adults and €15 for seniors (65+), students (16+), and the unemployed. Children are free.

Darkness Into Light 2017

There is no minimum amount of money that you must raise to participate in a Darkness Into Light event. But it is the money raised through DIL that helps to keep Pieta House’s life-saving counselling services free. It also helps develop research and broaden the services on offer so that the Pieta House can reach those who need help, and tackle the stigmas that lead people to its doors.

Everyone is welcome to participate in Darkness Into Light, and there are a few things to keep in mind. Children aged 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult. You may also bring your dog, but they must be kept on a lead and it is your responsibility to clean up after them. Remember that there will be children and other dogs around, so they must be friendly! The event usually takes about 25 minutes for a runner to complete the circuit, with most walkers doing it in about an hour. T-shirts can be collected at a registration event or a t-shirt pick-up event in your specified area when registering. Alternatively, if you have registered online, t-shirts can also be collected at registration events or a t-shirt pick-up event in your specified area – please bring along booking confirmation in this instance.

Do you want to volunteer for DIL? Darkness into Light relies on a team of dedicated and enthusiastic people like you! It’s fun, it’s rewarding, and you’ll meet some truly incredible people. All you have to do is complete the volunteer interest form, and you will be contacted by a member of the volunteer committee. Individual volunteers must be at least 18 years old by 6th of May, 2017.

Please join your local Darkness into Light event on Saturday 6th May this year and show your support for this amazing cause.

Darkness Into Light 2017

Pieta House was founded in Lucan, Co. Dublin, in 2006 and now has services right across Ireland. Pieta offers free counselling to those suffering from suicidal ideation, those who have been bereaved by suicide and people who are engaging in self-harm. Staff are fully qualified and provide a professional one-to-one therapeutic service.

 

the thin grey line

All images courtesy Pieta House / DIL

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This website uses cookies to offer you the best experience online. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of cookies.