BOISE, Idaho — Boise State University hopes to bring the community this National Suicide Prevention Month. Organizers are spreading the word about various events they have planned, which start next week.
"[The events] bring hope and they bring connection, and they encourage community, and those are the things that are antidotes to suicide," said Stephanie Donaldson, director of athletic counseling, "and they create opportunities to come together, to talk about suicide, to talk about mental health, and to talk about what we can do as a community to help erase the stigmas that surround it."
Chalk the Walk, which happens every year, will kick off the events. Students are encouraged to meet at the Student Union Building Monday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. to create chalk art around campus with positive mental health messages.
They are taking the event off-campus, too. Dozens of Treasure Valley schools, businesses and other members of the community plan on participating, including the City of Boise. A city spokesperson said the mayor will declare Monday "Chalk the Walk Day."
Donaldson said they hope everyone in Boise "chalks their walk" on Monday sometime between 11 a.m.-1 p.m. She wants those who participate to post photos of their art on social media and tag Boise State Athletics.
People who want to Chalk the Walk Monday can pick up chalk kits from 4-7 p.m. at Kleiner Park in Meridian. BroncoBOLD will have a booth at a nonprofit's suicide prevention and recovery fundraiser event.
"We're doing it just in partnership with a lot of the community," Donaldson, who leads BroncoBOLD said. "Our hope is to bring everyone around spreading messages of positivity and hope around mental health."
BroncoBOLD, a student-athlete initiative aimed at reducing the stigma around mental health, planned the events along with Wellness Services and the Office of the Dean of Students.
"We do see a lot of students who come to case management services or counseling services experiencing more kind of feelings of loneliness and feelings of hopelessness," said Michelle Tassinari, assistant dean for outreach and prevention.
She said 59% of the office's case in 2024 included concerns about a student's mental health. Of those, 8% included concerns about suicide or suicide ideation.
"If we can help people get through that crisis, they can go on to live really happy and healthy lives," Tassinari said. "And so, the goal of suicide prevention week is to get folks those resources."
Including Chalk the Walk, roughly half a dozen events are on the books. Junior Lily Patock helped plan them as part of BroncoBOLD's leadership team.
"I think that's really the basis of happiness, is connection with other people," she said. "So, I think that is just one small step that we can take to easily create a better community around us."
Events
- 9/9- Puppies and Popsicles + Chalk the Walk
- 10 a.m.-1 p.m. @Intramural Field
- 9/10- Here for You Fest
- 11 a.m.-2 p.m. @Quad
- 9/11- You Donut How Much You Matter
- 9 a.m.-12 p.m. @ILC
- 9/12- Flower Truck
- 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. @Hemingway Building Parking Lot
- 9/28 - Mental Health Awareness football game
- vs. Washington State University, time TBD
If you or someone you know needs help, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8.