Skip to content

Are you in a crisis? Call or text 988 or text TALK to 741741

¿Estás en una crisis? Llama o envía un mensaje de texto al 988 o envía un mensaje de texto con AYUDA al 741741

Donate Now

Western PA #OOTD Walks

2 min read

OOTD Register Today
Erie Walk Volunteers
Erie Walk Volunteers

Our Community Out of the Darkness Walks, held in hundreds of cities across the country, are the core of the Out of the Darkness movement, which began in 2004. These events give people the courage to open up about their own connections to the cause, and a platform to create a culture that’s smarter about mental health. Friends, family members, neighbors and co-workers walk side-by-side, supporting each other and in memory of those we’ve lost.

The Western PA Chapter Out of the Darkness 2026 Scheudle:

Register today and be part of the movement coming #TogetherToFightSuicide.  For more information on the Western PA Chapter Out of the Darkness Walk nearest you, choose a location below:

PGH OOTD
Pittsburgh OOTD Walk

Meet members of the Pittsburgh OOTD Walk Committee

Amy Baumgardner is a survivor of suicide loss. Her husband died by suicide in 2019 after a long-fought battle with Bipolar Disorder. As a widow and solo parent to their two children, she struggled to heal from this devastating loss. A few years into her healing process, she discovered the AFSP Out of the Darkness Walk in Pittsburgh. There was something about the abundance of resources shared at the event, along with the other survivors of suicide loss, that gave her something she hadn’t had in a long time: hope.

Wearing a pin with her husband’s name on it and beads around her neck signifying her loss gave her a way to honor him while also helping herself heal. Over the next two years, she volunteered at the bead station, interacting with others who were struggling or grieving the loss of a loved one. This year, Amy decided to step in and do more and is now helping support the planning and preparation leading up to the walk.

Amy is also the COO of a local nonprofit, a yoga instructor, and a soon-to-be-published author of a memoir about her life with her husband and their journey with mental health. Shedding the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide through speaking and writing about it is her life’s work. She wants to do what she can to help others feel less alone.

Lily Baumgardner is a student at Baldwin High School who joined the planning committee after volunteering at the Remembrance Beads table during the 2025 Out of the Darkness Walk. The experience inspired her to become more involved in supporting suicide prevention and mental health awareness.

After losing her father to suicide at the age of nine, Lily has been passionate about serving her community and creating positive change. Through advocacy and leadership, she hopes to help others feel supported. She is honored to be part of the Out of the Darkness Walk and its mission of bringing community to those affected by suicide.

Amy Baumgardner
Amy Baumgardner
Lily Baumgardner
Lily Baumgardner