AJC Covers RRAH's Brooke Foxman at the Suicide Prevention Walk
After Hours President Brooke Foxman grew up in the quiet enclave of Roswell, but, as she discovered, even suburbia isn’t immune to big city troubles. Foxman had three mutual childhood friends who took their lives, and the grief that followed for her and her younger brother was hard and confusing. “Unfortunately, from the time I was a freshman in high school until I was a junior in college, we lost a kid in our high school every single year,” said Foxman, now 25. “Mostly to suicide, unfortunately."
The young professional signed up to help after hearing Lynn Prothero speak on the subject at a Roswell Rotary Club meeting. Prothero, also from Roswell, serves on the Georgia Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). She invited others to join her in the fight for better mental health. Foxman has since become a leader with Georgia AFSP, serving on the Junior Board and the Board of Directors.
Earlier this year, she helped to organize the chapter’s annual spring fundraiser, Party for Prevention, which raised more than $19,000 to support suicide prevention initiatives across the state. It was planned with Gen Z in mind — a band, an auction and a craft brewery location. The 20th Annual Atlanta Out of Darkness Community Walk, at Piedmont Park on Nov. 5, drew crowds of young professionals. The walks are planned each year by a group of dedicated suicide loss survivors, and raise money to help reduce the suicide rate in Georgia and bring hope to people impacted by suicide.