By BRIDGET COOK
CRANBOURNE’s Julie Bendall is pulling on her runners and pounding the pavement again this year to help stamp out the problem of suicide in Casey.
Ms Bendall, who has been personally affected by suicide, is organising the third annual Long Walk for Life on Saturday 26 April at Cranbourne Racecourse and is urging the community to get behind her.
The event is a 10-hour walk where teams and individuals take it in turns to walk to raise awareness and money to train people in suicide intervention and prevention.
The event came about after Ms Bendall walked from Adelaide to Cranbourne in 2011 to raise awareness and funds for suicide and depression.
Tragedy struck Ms Bendall’s family in 2000, when her brother Jeffrie Reardon committed suicide.
The tragedy inspired her to complete training into suicide intervention and prevention and led her to run support groups for those bereaved by suicide.
Battling to continue to assist people and train others due to the cost and stigma, Ms Bendall decided to train for the long trek to help raise awareness not only within the local community, but beyond.
Ms Bendall said many people asked her during that time how they could help and get involved, so that’s when she started the Long Walk for Life in 2012.
Last year’s second event raised about $20,000, which went to Cranbourne organisation Life! Central who to train people in suicide intervention and prevention.
Ms Bendall has urged people to get involved in this year’s event again, as she was aiming for at least 200 people to take part.
“One person can’t do much to help to reduce the rate of suicide, but together we can save so many more and let people know they’re not alone,” she said.
“We want people to know that we care.
“This is meant to be a positive day, a time for reflection, a way to connect with others and know we can make a difference.”
For more information or to sign up for the walk, visit www.longwalkforlife.org.au.
To find out more about suicide intervention and prevention training, call Life! Central on 5996 7011.
