Between 150 and 200 Islanders gathered at Bend in the Road at 5 am with only head lamps and small candles as sources of light for the ninth annual and possibly final suicide prevention awareness walk put on by Darkness into Vineyard Light Saturday.
The walk started just after 5:30 am in Edgartown and lasted about an hour, including a few speeches. It began parallel to the first lifeguard stand, which was emblazoned with a lit-up sign that read “Hope.”
“We have been surrounded by an incredible community of participants, sponsors, volunteers, and dedicated past and present board members,” Maria Ventura, co-founder of the event and nonprofit Darkness into Vineyard Light, said. “Together, we have raised awareness, encouraged open and honest conversations, helped break the stigma surrounding suicide, and most importantly, reminded so many people that they’re never alone.”
It was the final walk with Ventura and John Murray as co-founders of the nonprofit and organizers of the event, which aims to break the stigma around suicide. The duo announced a few weeks ago that this would be the last year they would hold the annual walk, which started in 2018, due to family and health matters. Initially, they didn’t have anyone to take over the event, but since the news broke, Ventura said they’ve been approached by individuals and organizations who want to carry on the torch.
“It is with mixed emotions, deep gratitude, and heartfelt appreciation that we stand here today as we close this chapter of our lives,” Ventura said. “And while we know this was the right decision for us, that certainly doesn’t make it an easy one.”
Ventura told The Times that she always knew the event was powerful and impactful but the “outpouring of support was absolutely amazing.” She just hopes whoever does take the walk on, “keeps the heart behind it.”
Ventura, who lost her father to suicide, said she also worked in law enforcement where she saw a large number of suicides in a short amount of time. Those experiences are what made her want to organize an event about suicide prevention awarness and to break the stigma around suicide. She was put in touch with Murray, who had a similar idea, by Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS). Murray, who’s originally from the North side of Dublin, was inspired by Darkness Into Light, a five-kilometer walk in Ireland that started in 2009 and now includes more than 80,000 participants from across the country.
The idea of both walks is that people gather in the dark and finish the walk as the sun comes up. There is symbolism, Ventura said, and the sunrise is like “coming out of the darkness of mental health.” The walk starts at Bend in the Road, wraps around Big Bridge where bagpipes where played, and ends in the place everyone started.
The small idea, Ventura said to the crowd Saturday morning, “has become something far greater than one could have ever imagined.”
In the first couple of years, Ventura and Murray raised funds for established organizations, like MVCS and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, but three years ago, they became a nonprofit and formed an official board. It takes year-round planning, Ventura said, even though the event only lasts two hours.
This year, they’ve supported the Hope Squad, a peer-to-peer suicide prevention club started at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School in 2026 with 32 students nominated by their peers, with funds to travel and Sharing Kindness, a nonprofit based in Harwich that works on suicide prevention.
Lucas Martins, a senior at the high school and member of Hope Squad, said, “Suicide doesn’t discriminate … It doesn’t matter what you are, anybody can suffer. I’m here today for the sports captains. I’m here today for the top athletes. I’m here today for the popular kids. I’m here today for all the people who feel like they need to put on a mask everyday when they’re at work, school, with friends, with family. I’m here today for the people that are scared to express themselves because they feel like they’ll be judged for what they’re truly feeling. I’m here today to represent everyone who can’t be here themselves.”
This was the third year that Chilmark the ox and his cart were available for those who couldn’t do the actual walk, and a “Banner of Hope” stood in front of the sunrise on State Beach to be signed by participants for those they wanted to remember.
Carol Meikle, who’s been a volunteer at the event for four years, said when she arrived at 4:32 am, there were so many volunteers that all that was left to do was put the lights on the bridge. She typically helped at the registration table.
Crystal Stewart, a live-in caretaker on the Vineyard, told The Times she has walked in memoriam of an ex-boyfriend, who committed suicide about six years ago, and her sister, who passed away in October of 2024 under similar circumstances.
Stewart reminisced about the impact her loved ones made on her and those around them. Her sister “never forgot anyone’s birthday,” she said.
“I’m just here for them,” she said as the sun rose over the horizon behind her. “They’re my angels shining up above. I’m so grateful … We were determined to make it this year because this is just a beautiful cause.”
Transportation from the Edgartown Park and Ride to Bend in the Road was provided by a Winnetu Oceanside Resort shuttle. Edgartown Police Department officers also help with coordination of the walk.
Sarah Shaw Dawson contributed to this article.
