KINGSTON, R.I. — Oct. 6, 2023 — University of Rhode Island President Marc Parlange will be in attendance at URI’s Be 5K Run/Walk for Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention on Sunday, Oct. 15. This year marks the 14th edition of the annual event.
“The Counseling Center is excited that the president is able to take time out of his busy schedule to help acknowledge the importance of mental health, suicide prevention, and how physical fitness is a key component to our well-being.” says Counseling Center Director Cory Clark.
The Be 5K was established to financially support the Heather Fund and mental health programming and services for URI students.
For the second straight year, the URI Counseling Center is the organizer of the event. The Heather Fund was established in 1996 by the the late Josephine and Roger Vennewald, the parents of Heather Vennewald, a URI student lost to suicide. Prior to their passings, Josephine and Roger participated in the event. Other family members and friends have continued to take part.
The event prompts participants to “be kind and understanding” and “be an advocate.” It also asks, “What will you pledge to be?”
Beginning at 10 a.m., the run/walk will start and finish on the Kingston Campus’ Quadrangle. In-person registration begins at 8:30 a.m. on the day of the event and costs $20. By registering in advance, URI students, veterans, and participants older than 55 are eligible for a discounted registration fee of $15. The first 150 to register will receive Be 5K T-shirts.
URI Health Services, Couple and Family Therapy Clinic, Campus Recreation, and the Psychological Consultation Center have supported the event over the years, and will have informational tables set up before the race. Other organizations participating in the event are: BH Link, Butler Hospital, the Rhode Island Department of Human Services, and the South County Prevention Coalition.
Rhode Island Bridging the Gap, a group that advocates for the installation of safety nets on Rhode Island bridges to prevent suicide, will also participate. Student groups Active Minds, an organization that promotes mental health, and URECA, an eating disorder awareness collective, have been invited to attend the event. The goals of the various groups involved with the Be 5K are to provide services and outlets for students facing mental health challenges.
Parlange will give opening remarks to begin the event, and welcome students, alumni, and the general public.
Catherine Calise, a clinical counselor and substance abuse specialist at URI’s Counseling Center, describes the Be 5K as “dynamic,” and “high-energy.”
Clark says the Be 5K is an “uplifting event focused on the prevention of suicide,” and invites those who have lost someone to suicide to attend and “celebrate their remembrance in a healthy, uplifting way.”
Prior to the race, participants will be able to enjoy music while they warm up, chat with other racers, and tap into mental health resources.
Samantha Melia, a URI senior majoring in journalism and political science and an intern in the Department of Communications and Marketing, wrote this news release.