Caltrain Raises $12,000 for Suicide Prevention

Nine San Mateo County Transit District employees helped raise nearly $12,000 to prevent suicide by joining together for the Out of the Darkness overnight charity walk on during the night of June 9, according to a statement released by Caltrain on Tuesday.

The walk, which had over 2,000 participants, is an 18-mile trek through San Francisco meant to “make a bold statement to bring the issue of suicide out into the light.”

Amongst the 400 plus teams of walkers registered, only 19 raised more money than Caltrain’s team.

“As Caltrain employees, we understand all too well the tragic impact of death by suicide,” Caltrain team members April Maguigad and Christine Dunn said in their team statement. “Even though most of us are not directly involved in fatalities on our right of way, we are all touched by these sad incidents.”

Participating in the walk was just one of many steps Caltrain and it’s employees are taking to help lessen the number of suicides. In addition to raising money, in 2001, suicide prevention signs were posted every 1,200 feet along Caltrain’s tracks and this year, fading signs were replaced. Caltrain has also partnered with local community organizations, like Palo Alto’s Project Safety Net, to help with suicide prevention plans.

“We are all touched by these tragic incidents on the Caltrain right of way,” said Executive Director Mike Scanlon. “Suicide is a community mental health issue. As a member of the community, Caltrain is committed to helping to prevent suicide.”

Caltrain employees also participated in the 2006 Out of the Darkness walk, the last time the event was held in San Francisco.