OXFORD – For the third straight year, Team Chenango is about to embark on its 5K Walk/Run for Suicide Prevention. The 5K is set to be held Saturday, Oct. 12 on the park in Oxford.

Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the walk/run is slated to kick off at 10 a.m.

“On the park we will have family activities, food and a bake sale,” said organizer and member of Team Chenango Danielle Marshman. “You don't have to be a runner, you just have to want to support a good cause.”

The funds raised for Team Chenango will benefit the team's participation in the 18 mile Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk for Suicide Prevention, held in June of 2014 in Washington, D.C.

“Last year we walked with 2,000 other people and raised more than 2 million dollars,” Marshman added.

Team Chenango itself – composed of nine members – raised more than $11,000 for last year's event.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), a person dies by suicide every 13.7 minutes, resulting in the deaths of more than 38,000 lives per year. Estimates by the AFSP suggest a suicide attempt is made once per minute. Suicide has been found to be the fourth leading cause of death among persons 18-65 years old, per reports by the AFSP.

Walks are organized to honor lost loved ones, to raise funds, and to save lives, said organizers.

The AFSP uses funds raised to support research aimed at improving the understanding of suicide – including preventative measures – as well as programs providing educational materials to foster cognizance of warning signs and the illnesses that may lead to suicide. The walks also aim to unite those who have experienced the loss of family, friends, co-workers and even acquaintances to suicide.