The school announced Sept. 21 that it would participate in the Didi Hirsch Foundation’s “Alive Together” walk, which will take place Sunday, Oct. 1. The school organized a team in memory of Donald (Trey) Brown III, who passed away in June. The team will also walk to honor the memory of community members who passed last year.
According to an all-school email sent by Counselor Michelle Bracken, the walk will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Exposition Park in Los Angeles and will be open to the school community and the general public. Registration price is listed at $25 for those who want an event keepsake, but anyone attending can participate free of charge.
In addition to the walk, there will also be speakers, a resource fair and other activities dedicated to strengthening the community and causes of suicide prevention.
Alexa Chang ’25, who is a captain of the Alive Together event, said she hopes to honor Brown’s legacy with a united community.
“Trey was a close friend of mine and he was always someone who genuinely cared and looked out for others,” Chang said. “I feel like as a community, it was hard to process this loss together because it happened during the summer and we were all scattered around everywhere. I was hoping that this would bring people together to honor him and what he brought to our school community, now that we’re all back together.”
Chang said the program will begin with an introductory program, followed by live performances. Then, by courtesy of the Didi Hirsch Foundation, an opportunity will be given for attendees to share stories about their lost loved ones with the entire group. For the main event, During the walk, participants will walk 2,160 steps, in remembrance of the approximately 2,160 lives lost to suicide that occur each day. In addition, there will be resources of suicide prevention for those in need.
Chang said raised money will be dedicated towards causes of suicide prevention and support for communities affected.
“All the money raised will be used to help provide prevention training for schools, organizations, and other communities,” Chang said. “[Didi Hirsch] will provide immediate support for those who have just lost someone to suicide, help facilitate crisis lines and conduct support groups who have lost loved ones to suicide or have survived attempts. I hope that providing resources to educators, those grieving, and those in need that we can educate others, provide awareness, and destigmatize suicide.”
Chang said she hopes the walk will bring together different members of the community to support one another.
“[The message is] emphasizing checking up on your friends and supporting each other unconditionally,” Chang said. “Our community consists of such a wide variety of [people], and I think it’s important to at times look past our differences, large or small, and just genuinely support one another. There’s so much that goes on in everyone’s lives that we don’t get to see, and occasionally everyone just needs someone who will listen to them and provide support. I hope people get more comfortable voicing that.”
