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Pieta House – Darkness to Light Run, 2015

By Salesforce.org June 19, 2015

Author: Wayne Cummins, Web Trainee, Salesforce

Pieta House is an Irish Charity that was set up in 2006 and provides a professional, one-to-one therapeutic service for those who are experiencing suicidal ideation or are engaging in self-harm. There are 10 centers across Ireland today.

On the 9th of May at 4:15am a group of Salesforce employees from our Dublin offices gathered in different locations across Ireland to support Pieta House during their Darkness into Light 5km walk/run; an event that aims to raise funds and awareness for suicide and self-harm.

Darkness to LIght

The organization kicked-off their first Darkness into Light event in 2009 which saw 400 people gathered in Dublin’s Phoenix Park to take part in a 5km walk/run. This year, over 100,000 people came together in over 80 locations across Ireland and the globe!

The support that I’ve seen for this issue is phenomenal, and the work that Pieta house have put into this event is so inspiring. At Salesforce, we’re passionate about supporting community services and organizations, and Pieta House in particular has drawn a huge amount of interest through this and other campaigns throughout the year.

Darkness into Light Event 2015

We gathered, all united in a common effort and understanding toward the difficulties that surround mental health and suicide. We wore bright yellow t-shirts and some engaged in a candle lit vigil. Together we wanted to reinforce the important idea that there is always light for everyone at the end of the tunnel; this is a simplistic idea put in place by Pieta House but yet its impact is immeasurable and its empowering message invokes a strong signal to all those who are suffering and feeling lost that there are people who can help and offer support.

This campaign encourages people suffering to reach out and to realise that there is always hope.

Darkness to Light

Salesforce employees who took part: Claire Whitehead, Donnacha Guilfoyle, Florian Bastianelli, Francis Clauson, Kim Hickey, Mark Jones and Wayne Cummins.

For more information on Pieta House and their services please go to: http://www.pieta.ie/