Logo Walk 2010 at TAMIU to Bring Awareness About Suicide, Life's Meaning

If you know or have heard of someone who has committed suicide or is contemplating it, you are invited to participate in a 5K walk at Texas A&M International University designed to bring awareness to the alarming rate of suicide in the U.S. and the world and to the fact that life has a meaning.

Logo Walk 2010, the first annual event of its kind, will be held Saturday, Sept. 11 from 8 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. and will depart from the front of the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library. The event is free and open to the public.

Organized by TAMIU’s Master of Science in School Counseling Program, Logo Walk will be held in observation of National Suicide Prevention Week and National Remembrance Day.

Dr. Trace Pirtle, associate professor of counselor education at TAMIU and diplomate in logotherapy, said the Walk aims to send a message to people that life has a meaning under all circumstances, even the unpleasant ones.

“Logo Walk hopes to introduce the community to Logo Education as a means of dealing with challenging life events,” Dr. Pirtle said, “Logo Education is grounded in Logotherapy, the psychotherapeutic approach founded by Dr. Viktor Frankl – a Holocaust survivor – and author of ‘Man’s Search for Meaning.’”

Pirtle said the Walk, which expects more than 600 participants, will begin in front of the Killam Library, then proceed to Loop 20 and Del Mar Ave. Participants will subsequently return to TAMIU.

There is no fee to participate or registration required, Pirtle said. However, those wishing to receive t-shirts, which will be provided in limited amounts, may register at logowalk.com, he said.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24-year-olds and the 11th leading cause of death across the lifespan in the U.S., Pirtle said. Approximately 31,045 suicides are reported each year in the United States and 864,950 Americans attempt suicide each year, he added.

“We are hoping that as they walk during this event, participants will share information with each other about suicide and the fact that each person is irreplaceable in this life,” Pirtle said.

For more information, please contact Pirtle at 326.2681, e-mail tpirtle@tamiu.edu or visit offices located in Killam Library 426B. University office hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at prmis@tamiu.edu