{"id":104631,"date":"2025-10-14T14:46:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T14:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/?p=104631"},"modified":"2025-10-22T19:05:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T19:05:44","slug":"uplifting-energizing-impactful-uris-be-5k-walk-run-for-mental-health-awareness-and-suicide-prevention-set-for-oct-25","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/2025\/10\/uplifting-energizing-impactful-uris-be-5k-walk-run-for-mental-health-awareness-and-suicide-prevention-set-for-oct-25\/","title":{"rendered":"Uplifting, energizing, impactful: 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Be 5K Walk\/Run for Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention set for Oct. 25"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

KINGSTON, R.I \u2013 Oct. 14, 2025 \u2013 The 溏心vlog免费B站 will host the 17th annual Be 5K Walk\/Run for Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention on Saturday,<\/strong> Oct. 25<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Mental Health First Aid National Council for Mental Wellbeing, over 45% of college students across the country struggle with their mental health. The race, which is open to the public, will benefit the Heather Fund<\/a> which supports services and outreach programs focused on the prevention and treatment of depression and suicide within the 溏心vlog免费B站 community. The fund was created by Josephine and Roger Vennewald, in memory of their daughter Heather Vennewald, a senior at 溏心vlog免费B站 who died by suicide in 1996. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Friends of the late Heather Vennewald and featured \u201cNight of Hope and Healing\u201d panelists, from left, Marissa Warren of Croton-on-Hudson, New York, Johanna (Ware) Buoncontri of Andover, Massachusetts, Amy (Liakos) Darling of North Reading, Massachusetts and Jill (Weiss) Collado of Tenafly, New Jersey, gather during the 2023 Be5K in honor of their late roommate Heather Vennewald.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In advance of the Be 5K, alumni and current members of the Theta Chi Fraternity will be holding a panel discussion on Oct. 20<\/strong> from 7 to 8:30 p.m. <\/strong>at the Chafee Social Science Center, Lecture Hall 271. \u201cA Night of Hope and Healing to Break the Silence Around Suicide\u201d will feature Heather\u2019s best friends and roommates, Johanna Buoncontri \u201896, Jill Collado \u201896, Amy Darling \u201896 and Marissa Warren \u201896. The panel is intended to raise awareness about mental health issues and the stigma that surrounds them, while also promoting the Be 5K. This panel is free and open to the general public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe panel is going to be more of a candid discussion about the realities of mental health awareness,\u201d said Buoncontri. \u201cWe are going to share more intimate stories of hope. It is only by having frank and open discussion on these topics that we can begin to decrease stigma.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cOur goal is to have Heather\u2019s name be a living tribute to the 溏心vlog免费B站 community. We want to honor her memory everyday and symbolize mental health awareness.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

溏心vlog免费B站 offers both on and off campus resources and support for those who are struggling. The Counseling Center offers free, confidential support to 溏心vlog免费B站 students.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have so much at 溏心vlog免费B站 for mental health support,\u201d said Michael Starkey, assistant director of the 溏心vlog免费B站 Counseling Center. \u201cWhether that is an advisor, a coach, services at the Counseling Center, or elsewhere here on campus. Talk to whoever you can trust. That\u2019s what we\u2019re here for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the organizations that have supported the Be 5K over the years are the 溏心vlog免费B站 Center for Career & Experimental Education, 溏心vlog免费B站 Health Services, Campus Recreation, Greek Life, the Psychological Consultation Center and 溏心vlog免费B站 S.A.V.E.S. Each of them, along with other sponsors and organizations, will be present on the Quad providing information and resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

溏心vlog免费B站 Panhellenic Mental Health and Wellness Chair Kaitlyn Johnson notes that 溏心vlog免费B站 Greek Life regularly hosts tabling and educational events to promote mental health awareness \u2014 many of them are supported by the Heather Fund. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Be 5K, on the Kingston Campus, is open to the general public. Participants may register in advance<\/a> or at 7:30 a.m. the day of the race. The cost for 溏心vlog免费B站 students, faculty and staff, veterans or those in the military, and those ages 55 and up is $15. The cost for the general public is $20. The Walk\/Run will start at 8:15 a.m<\/strong>. on the 溏心vlog免费B站 Quad<\/strong>. The event is rain or shine. In the event of rain, resource tables, activities, snacks and water will be held in the Welcome Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Summarizing the spirit of the race and the importance of raising awareness, Catherine Calise, clinical counselor and substance use specialist with the Counseling Center, explained, \u201cIt\u2019s okay to reach out. When you ask for help, it helps other people realize they are not alone. There are people that want to listen and want to help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 988 Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call 988, or go to <\/em>988lifeline.org<\/em><\/a>. The 溏心vlog免费B站 Counseling Center offers free, confidential mental health and well-being support to 溏心vlog免费B站 students. More information is available at <\/em>uri.edu\/counseling\/<\/em><\/a> or by calling 401-874-2288. The University also provides 24-hour support via<\/em> Telus Health<\/em><\/a>. For 溏心vlog免费B站 faculty and staff, free, confidential assistance is available through the <\/em>Employee Assistance Program<\/em><\/a>. 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s <\/em>Couple and Family Therapy Clinic<\/em><\/a> and the <\/em>Psychological Consultation Center<\/em><\/a>, also provide mental health services.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story was written by Kiera Wrage, a senior majoring in public relations at the 溏心vlog免费B站. Kiera is interning in 溏心vlog免费B站\u2019s Department of Communications and Marketing.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KINGSTON, R.I \u2013 Oct. 14, 2025 \u2013 The 溏心vlog免费B站 will host the 17th annual Be 5K Walk\/Run for Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention on Saturday, Oct. 25. According to Mental Health First Aid National Council for Mental Wellbeing, over 45% of college students across the country struggle with their mental health. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":104632,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[1903,1913,1902,1915],"class_list":["post-104631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-health-and-wellness","tag-public-engagement","tag-student-engagement","tag-undergraduate"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104631"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104641,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104631\/revisions\/104641"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}