Out of Darkness Walks for Suicide Prevention
Shedding light ‘Out of Darkness’
A crowd gathered at Thompson Park in
Monroe Township on a brisk fall morn-
ing. The family members and friends
who traveled from across the state on
Nov. 4 may not have known each oth-
er, but they had something in common
that united them. They all knew the pain
of losing someone to suicide and were
there to raise awareness for an act that
should never have to occur.
At the scene of this Out of Darkness
Walk for the American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention, loved ones gathered
along the perfectly still lake that reflected
the colorful autumn trees surrounding it.
Near the crowd was a table with a strik-
ing Cop2Cop banner draped over it.
The collage of diverse law enforce-
ment patches carefully stitched on the
blue-and-starred background drew the
attention of those who passed by. Behind
the display stood two Cop2Cop leaders
who know the necessity of suicide pre-
vention. Lou Zavaglia and Jose Rodri-
guez have experienced the mental health
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NEW JERSEY COPS
■ NOVEMBER 2018
Cop2Cop team representatives Lou Zavaglia and Jose Rodriguez lead the Out of Darkness Walk in Mon-
roe Township with the symbolic banner to honor law enforcement.