Turning loss into light: Seventh annual Out of the Darkness golf tournament this weekend
OXFORD – Golfers will take to the links at Oxford’s Blue Stone golf course this Sunday, May 21, to bring the conversation about suicide and mental illness out of the darkness and into the light.
It is the seventh year the course will host the event: Team Chenango’s Out of the Darkness Golf Tournament.
Changing the conversation about suicide and mental illness has become a mission for the members of Team Chenango. The group was started by Danielle Marshman, and now includes Maggie Dorsey, Rheia Benedict, Steve Estelow, Teresa Hollister, Lori Olsen and Melissa Stagnaro. Dorsey is team captain.
“Every year suicide claims more lives than war, murder, and natural disasters combined, and yet we struggle to talk about it,” Marshman said.
In a small town, people are often less willing to admit it’s something that can happen close to home. But Dorsey and her teammates – and truly the entire Oxford community – knows that it can.
Each year, Team Chenango walks in the Out of the Darkness Overnight, an 18-mile dusk ‘til dawn walk organized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
“AFSP is really the leader in the fight against suicide,” Dorsey said. “They fund research, create educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support survivors of suicide loss. All with the goal of reducing the annual suicide rate 20% by 2025.”
This year, Marshman will walk in the West Coast event, which takes place this weekend in San Diego. The rest of the team will walk in Washington, DC on June 17.
Stagnaro, who is walking for the fourth time, described the event as an intense experience filled with laughter, tears and moments of physical and emotional exhaustion.
“It’s also a time of healing and hope,” she said. “As you walk through the night, you feel safe and cared-for in a community where everyone supports each other.”
It’s this type of atmosphere that Team Chenango has tried to create with their annual golf tournament. The event is one of the ways they raise money to meet the walk’s fundraising requirements of $1,000 per person.
But over time, the tournament has come to mean more to the community than just golf.
“It’s really about the cause,” Dorsey said. “We have lost too many people in our community to suicide, and this is a way that we can come together to change the conversation about mental health and put a stop to this tragic loss of life.”
This year’s tournament was originally slated for May 13, but was rescheduled due to rain.
The tournament is Sunday at Blue Stone Golf Course in Oxford. Registration begins at noon, with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. The cost to participate is $35 for Blue Stone Members and $55 for non-members. Registration includes 18 holes of golf, cart rental and lunch.
There will also be a putting contest, raffle baskets and a 50/50, Dorsey said.
All community members are welcome at a ziti dinner immediately following the event. A free will donation will be accepted at the door.
“There’s still time to sign up a team or sponsor a hole,” assured Dorsey.
For more information, contact Maggie Dorsey at 843-9655 or via email at teamchenango@gmail.com. Teams can register by calling Blue Stone at 843-8352.
It is the seventh year the course will host the event: Team Chenango’s Out of the Darkness Golf Tournament.
Changing the conversation about suicide and mental illness has become a mission for the members of Team Chenango. The group was started by Danielle Marshman, and now includes Maggie Dorsey, Rheia Benedict, Steve Estelow, Teresa Hollister, Lori Olsen and Melissa Stagnaro. Dorsey is team captain.
“Every year suicide claims more lives than war, murder, and natural disasters combined, and yet we struggle to talk about it,” Marshman said.
In a small town, people are often less willing to admit it’s something that can happen close to home. But Dorsey and her teammates – and truly the entire Oxford community – knows that it can.
Each year, Team Chenango walks in the Out of the Darkness Overnight, an 18-mile dusk ‘til dawn walk organized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP).
“AFSP is really the leader in the fight against suicide,” Dorsey said. “They fund research, create educational programs, advocate for public policy, and support survivors of suicide loss. All with the goal of reducing the annual suicide rate 20% by 2025.”
This year, Marshman will walk in the West Coast event, which takes place this weekend in San Diego. The rest of the team will walk in Washington, DC on June 17.
Stagnaro, who is walking for the fourth time, described the event as an intense experience filled with laughter, tears and moments of physical and emotional exhaustion.
“It’s also a time of healing and hope,” she said. “As you walk through the night, you feel safe and cared-for in a community where everyone supports each other.”
It’s this type of atmosphere that Team Chenango has tried to create with their annual golf tournament. The event is one of the ways they raise money to meet the walk’s fundraising requirements of $1,000 per person.
But over time, the tournament has come to mean more to the community than just golf.
“It’s really about the cause,” Dorsey said. “We have lost too many people in our community to suicide, and this is a way that we can come together to change the conversation about mental health and put a stop to this tragic loss of life.”
This year’s tournament was originally slated for May 13, but was rescheduled due to rain.
The tournament is Sunday at Blue Stone Golf Course in Oxford. Registration begins at noon, with a shotgun start at 1 p.m. The cost to participate is $35 for Blue Stone Members and $55 for non-members. Registration includes 18 holes of golf, cart rental and lunch.
There will also be a putting contest, raffle baskets and a 50/50, Dorsey said.
All community members are welcome at a ziti dinner immediately following the event. A free will donation will be accepted at the door.
“There’s still time to sign up a team or sponsor a hole,” assured Dorsey.
For more information, contact Maggie Dorsey at 843-9655 or via email at teamchenango@gmail.com. Teams can register by calling Blue Stone at 843-8352.
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