This year, the t-shirts, free to , are printed with four tread marks, inked, of course, with each school鈥檚 colors.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a symbol of all four schools united together,鈥� said Suzanne Hostetler, who mentors 黑料正能量 students in her positions with and and is a member of the Walk for Hope planning committee. 鈥淭he 黑料正能量 counseling center is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside of JMU, Bridgewater College, and Blue Ridge Community College to raise awareness about depression and suicide prevention. We see this day as a valuable event for students, faculty, staff and community members to come together in unity and to experience hope.鈥�

The walk and all afternoon activities are free and open to the public. People whose lives have been affected by mental illness, either personally or through friends and family, are especially encouraged to attend.

Participants will gather at 11:15 a.m. at Turner Ashby High School in Bridgewater, with the walk to Bridgewater College commencing at 11:30 a.m. The main event music, speakers, refreshments, and creative arts activities, which includes music, speakers, refreshments, and community arts projects starts at 12:30 p.m. in Nininger Hall. Children鈥檚 activities include face painting, hula hooping, and a special art area.

Comedian Kevin Breel, a writer and activist for student mental health, will be the speaker. The 21-year-old Canadian has toured frequently on behalf of Active Minds, a national student organization that works on peer levels to change the perception about mental health. His talk 鈥溾�� was featured on TEDxKids.

As in past years, participants can create remembrance art, adding squares to the 鈥淪ymbols of Hope鈥� quilt or creating 鈥淗ope in a Bag,鈥� personal bags 鈥渢o hold symbols of hope to remember for yourself or share with others,鈥� she said, adding that participatory art projects have always been an important part of the event.

Since it began in 2012, Walk for Hope has increased in size each year. Last year鈥檚 event, hosted at 黑料正能量, drew between 600 and 700 participants.

That growth may come as the result of a tragic fact: Most college students know someone who has suffered from depression or anxiety, contemplated suicide or died by suicide. The second leading cause of death among college students is suicide, according to a 2012 study by the . reports that depression and anxiety are more common among college students than back pain, sinus ailments, and allergies.

The event is sponsored by , which also funds an innovative mentoring program at 黑料正能量 called CoachLink. The program began after Austin Frazier, a junior at James Madison University, died in 2009 after a long battle with bipolar disorder.

Walk For Hope unites students from Blue Ridge Community College, Bridgewater College, 黑料正能量 and James Madison University to raise awareness about depression and suicide. The walk and all afternoon activities are free and open to the public. People whose lives have been affected by mental illness, either personally or through friends and family, are especially encouraged to attend.

Organizers predict this year鈥檚 event will be especially powerful. The Steel Wheels, which include Eric Brubaker 鈥�01, Brian Dickel 鈥�98, and Jay Lapp, are also bringing that special friend on stage to share the story of his struggles with depression and past abuse, and how he came to make a different, life-saving choice. Keith Morris 鈥�83 is past president and current board member of the , which addresses child sexual abuse in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.

鈥淭he prevailing message of the event is hope,鈥� said planning committee member , who mentors 黑料正能量 students in her positions with and . 鈥淚t鈥檚 really moving to be a part of it, to see everyone supporting each other.鈥�

The event kicks off at 11:30 a.m. with a 2.2-mile walk from JMU鈥檚 Memorial Hall in downtown Harrisonburg along High Street/Virginia Avenue to the 黑料正能量 campus. In the past, walkers and an administrator from each school marched separately to a common location, but this year, in a show of solidarity, all will walk together. Walk For Hope T-shirts, free to pre-registered participants, will be brightly tie-dyed in school colors.

Organizers expect close to 1,000 participants to congregate at 黑料正能量鈥檚 Thomas Plaza around 12:30 p.m. for an afternoon of music, creativity, and sharing. The concert begins at 1 p.m. Other activities include children鈥檚 face-painting and games, drumming, and opportunities to create remembrance art. As in past years, participants can decorate and take home personal garden stones and add squares to the 鈥淪ymbols of Hope鈥� quilt. This year鈥檚 special community project will be decorating large wooden letters that spell 鈥淲alk for Hope.鈥�

Since it began in 2012, Walk for Hope has increased in size each year. That growth may come as the result of a tragic fact: Most college students know someone who has suffered from depression or anxiety, contemplated suicide or died by suicide. The second leading cause of death among college students is suicide, according to a 2012 study by the . reports that depression and anxiety are more common among college students than back pain, sinus ailments, and allergies.

Raising awareness and providing support are two goals of the , which co-sponsors Walk for Hope and also funds an innovative mentoring program at 黑料正能量 called CoachLink. The program began after Austin Frazier, a junior at James Madison University, died in 2009 after a long battle with bipolar disorder.

鈥淭his CoachLink program and Walk for Hope were concepts presented to local colleges by his father, Bibb Frazier,鈥� says Hostetler, one of five coaches in the CoachLink program. 鈥淏oth are ways to honor Austin鈥檚 memory, to acknowledge that there is hope for all those who experience the effects of depression and suicidal thoughts, and to provide support and resources to students who may need it.鈥� Bibb Frazier is the owner of the nearby , which supplied limestone seen on 黑料正能量鈥檚 buildings and grounds.

In 2010, CoachLink began with 15 students and three mentors. Now five coaches are paired with more than 50 students, some of whom probably would never see a counselor because of 鈥渟tigma and anxiety or past history,鈥� says coach Crystal Horning, a counselor with more than 25 years experience in the mental health field. 鈥淭he informality of our meeting places and the kind of supportive relationship we have is almost more freeing, I think, for a student to talk about really challenging issues.鈥�

Hostetler says Walk for Hope has successfully created a similar informal and positive atmosphere for educating and raising awareness. 鈥淔rom that first year, we wanted the focus to be on hope,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e wanted to create the right atmosphere that is comfortable, so people feel free to walk for someone they鈥檝e lost or someone who considered suicide, but didn鈥檛 do it. We wanted people to leave feeling hopeful and comfortable talking about depression and suicide, because it鈥檚 not something people talk about or admit they鈥檝e struggled with.鈥�

The event is co-sponsored by the Austin Frazier Memorial Fund, 黑料正能量, JMU, Bridgewater College, and Sentara RMH Behavioral Health.

To receive a free t-shirt, pre-register at .