KINGSTON, R.I. — Oct. 13, 2023 — University of Rhode Island President Marc Parlange will speak during the opening ceremonies for URI’s Be 5K Walk/Run for Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. The 14th annual event will begin and end on the Kingston Campus Quadrangle. Registration begins at 8:30.
The Be 5K was established to financially support the Heather Fund and mental health programming and services for URI students. The event prompts participants to “be kind and understanding” and “be an advocate.” It also asks, “What will you pledge to be?”
For the second straight year, the URI Counseling Center is the organizer of the event. The Heather Fund was established in 1996 by 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.
In addition to Parlange, runners, walkers, volunteers and representatives of groups supporting mental health awareness and initiatives, Heather Vennewald’s senior-year housemates will be at a table titled, “Sunflowers for Heather.” Participants will be given paper sunflowers on which to write memorial messages and statements of encouragement and hope. The URI 1996 graduates, housemates and friends of Heather volunteering and participating in the walk/run are: Marissa Warren, Amy (Liakos) Darling, Johanna (Ware) Buoncontri, and Jill (Weiss) Collado, Heather’s best friends and roommates. They will share stories and memories of Heather and her time on campus.
WHO: URI President Marc Parlange, housemates of Heather Vennewald, runners, walkers, students, faculty, staff and representatives of agencies working to promote mental health awareness.
WHAT: URI’s Be 5K Walk/Run for Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention.
WHEN: Race Start–Sunday, Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. Registration, 8:30 a.m.
WHERE: URI Kingston Campus Quadrangle
TO COVER THE EVENT, CONTACT: Dave Lavallee, URI communications and marketing, 401-874-5862, cell, 401-465-4291, dlavallee@uri.edu