CSUSB to Advocate Suicide Prevention with Exhibit of 1100 FlipFlop Sandals

To create awareness for suicide prevention, Cal State San Bernardino’s Student Health Center will sponsor “Step into Awareness,” a display of 1,100 flip-flop sandals on Wednesday, Oct. 8. The exhibit will be displayed on the north campus lawn of the John M. Pfau Library from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and will represent the approximately 1,100 college students nationwide that die by suicide each year and their stories. Organizers of “Step into Awareness” want to help raise suicide awareness, reduce mental health stigma and provide valuable resources to help prevent further tragedies. The event is free and open to the public. Parking is $5 per vehicle. Information tables about suicide awareness and prevention as well as resources on campus and throughout the community will be available. Participants are invited to submit stories of their loved ones lost to suicide online at “Submit a Story to Step Into Awareness” The messages will be placed on a flip-flop sandal in CSUSB’s suicide awareness and prevention exhibit. Although not required, photographs of the people whose stories are being shared are encouraged to help personalize them. Photos can be emailed to Tess Webster-Henry at webster@csusb.edu with "Step into Awareness" in the subject line, along with the name of the loved one. Event organizers will place the submitted stories, with or without photos, on a laminated sign and attach it to a flip-flop sandal in the exhibit. This is the second year the event has taken place and will continue to be held annually. Stories submitted each year will remain a permanent feature of the event. “Step into Awareness” suicide prevention is a collaborative project among CSUSB’s Office of Student Leadership and Development, the Student Health Center, the Counseling and Psychological Services Center and THR!VE -Health Promotion.