Two friends whose lives have been touched by suicide are bringing the HopeWalk suicide prevention movement to Rotorua.
Thomas O'Leary and workmate Chris Smith were inspired to organise the event after attending the Hamilton HopeWalk.
"We had the privilege of holding the banner that everyone was walking behind and wewere just chatting as you do, and said, why don't we do this in Rotorua?" Smith said.
Smith has had several relatives commit suicide. A relative of O'Leary's took his own life, but he has also had his own struggle with mental health.
"The reality is, I have suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts many times in my life," O'Leary said.
"The thing that compelled me to just do something about it [get involved with HopeWalk] was an awareness of my own struggle - that's the truth and I didn't really want to admit that until we'd gone down this road of organising it ourselves."
O'Leary reiterates the acronym HOPE often, which stands for Hold On Pain Ends.
Thomas O'Leary, (left), and Chris Smith have organised the Hopewalk in Rotorua . Photo / Ben Fraser
"My first major suicidal episode was when I was 19. If I had committed suicide at that time, I wouldn't have a 25-year marriage and three beautiful children.
O'Leary said the walk was a way of activating the community and saying, it's okay to not be okay.
"I believe that we will have people turn up that don't know a lot of people, and they will go away feeling like they know heaps of people, because they've all got the same purpose for being there - its not a fun run. We're all going to walk together," Smith said.
O'Leary said Rotorua Lakes Council, Lakes District Health Board and local businesses had all bent over backwards to help with funding and organisation.
Both agree a community-based focus needs to be employed to tackle mental health and suicide.
"We need to learn how to recognise when people around us are depressed," Smith said.
"We don't have to say 'how are you, what's your problem?' and try and fix it for them, all we've got to do is say, 'Oh look, I'm going for a walk tomorrow - do you want to join me?'
"We are not crusaders, we are not trying to change the world. We just want people to get together, walk together, and if they want to talk together then that's absolutely fine," O'Leary said.
The 2.3km HopeWalk is on this Saturday at 9am, starting at the stage end of Memorial Drive.
Walkers are encouraged to wear yellow, the international colour of hope.
