SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — The University of Rhode Island (URI) is hosting its 16th annual "Be 5K Walk/Run for Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention" next weekend.
The event will be held on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Kingston Campus and is open to the public. Participants can register in advance or at the beginning of the race.
Registration is $15 for URI students, faculty, veterans, and anyone older than 55. The entrance fee for everyone else is $20.
All of the money raised from the event will go to the Heather Fund and support for mental health programming at URI.
The Heather Fund was started in 1996 by the parents of URI student Heather Vennewald who was lost to suicide. URI says the fund supports services and prevention programs in the URI community.
“When people get together for a cause like this, it’s a way to bring not just awareness to it but also having a shared space where we can experience positivity,” said Dr. Michael Starkey, assistant director of the URI Counseling Center.
You can register for the event by clicking here.