Members of Cumberland County Corrections Local 231 and State Corrections Local 105 participated in the 2017 Out of Darkness Walk , including Local 231 member Dominique Fowlkes ( far right holding her 10-month-old son Marcus ).
To be determined
Cumberland County Corrections and State Corrections officers walk the Out of Darkness Walk to show what it takes to promote suicide prevention and awareness
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
Amazing how suicide prevention and awareness can move a law enforcement officer to make great strides . On Oct . 22 , Cumberland County Corrections Local 231 Officer Dominique Fowlkes was so moved to bring her double stroller to the county ’ s Out of Darkness Walk so her 10-month-old son , Marcus , and 2-year-old son , Michael , could ride-along . Fowlkes ’ 6-year-old daughter , Sarai , and 12-year-old son , Dymir , also joined the procession , as did her husband , Michael , who served Cumberland Corrections for nearly eight years .
For what suicide has done to her jail – six suicides there in the past two years – Fowlkes wanted to be part of Local 231 ’ s inaugural Darkness Walk contingent this year . The group of 15 members walked the Walk on a mission that was all about raising awareness and raising money .
“ We wanted to make people aware that it ’ s an important topic that can affect any color , nationality , age , sex and with all the stuff going on in the jail , it ’ s important to show we go through it as well ,” Fowlkes related . “ The walk was all about showing determination , the determination to keep going in life even when you come across tragedy .”
The advent of a Darkness Walk in Cumberland County certainly confirms that determination . The first pass came in 2015 , with a goal of raising $ 5,000 .
“ We ended up raising $ 15,000 with nearly 150 people participating ,” informed Ashleigh Huff , the Municipal Alliance Coordinator for the Cumberland County Department of Human
Law enforcement leaders at the Walk included ( from left ) State Corrections Local 105 State Delegate Ray Heck , Local 231 State Delegate Victor Bermudez , Retired Glassboro Lieutenant Edwin Alicea , Local 105 member Bobby Sheppard and Local 105 Third Vice President Mike Gallagher .
Services , who spearheads the Darkness Walk . Huff reported that the 2016 walk grew to 250 participants , and this year more than 500 walkers combined to raise more than $ 21,000 for suicide prevention and awareness , as well as drug and alcohol counseling .
The fundraising and participation were fueled by the turnout from Local 231 and State Corrections Local 105 members . Local 231 State Delegate Victor Bermudez posed the idea of participating after seeing his members endure the trauma of
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