Tomorrow, on June 8, San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Solomon Thomas will be one of over 1,000 people that will be taking part in the American Foundation for Suicide Preventions Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk. Thomas has been promoting this for quite some time. For those that don’t know, Thomas lost his sister Ella in January of 2018. This is his second year in a row taking part in the event.
I walk for Ella.
— Solomon Thomas (@SollyThomas90) March 21, 2019
I walk for my family.
I walk for those who struggle.
On June 8th, I’m joining thousands to show the world that there is hope for those affected by suicide & mental illness.
Please join us in SF or consider a donation to @afspnational. https://t.co/gP46xFinUe pic.twitter.com/MuQZAQJuXe
49ers general manager John Lynch announced Thursday that the 49ers donated $10,000 to “Ella’s Sunflowers.” That is two times the amount that the team gave last year. Getting out in the community and seeing the players you root for every week take part in these events makes it easier to root for the team. This is bigger than football.
Information about the Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk can be found here. You can also donate directly to the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention from the organization’s official site. If you are up for it, I’d like to organize something like this for all the Niners Nation readers in July. Not sure exactly what, but I’m open to suggestions.
Here’s some more information for Saturday:
DATE: June 8-9, 2019
TIME: 7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Opening ceremony begins (Saturday, June 8)
8:01 p.m. – 16-mile walk begins (Saturday, June 8)
5:15 a.m. – Closing ceremony begins (Sunday, June 9)
WHERE: Fort Mason – Great Meadow Park Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94123
WALK ROUTE: Highlights include: the shoreline of the San Francisco Bay, the Palace of Fine Arts, Chinatown, Oracle Park, Embarcadero, the Bay Bridge, and the Ferry Building.
ATTENDEES: People who have lost someone to suicide, who have attempted suicide, and those who want to prevent suicide.
RSVP: Please email aobrien@afsp.org if you would like to register to attend this event. Requests for media accreditation will be denied if applicants cannot establish they are professional journalists.