BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A Brevard County group is coming together to bring awareness to suicide prevention and education.

The group in Melbourne is participating in the nationwide “Out of the Darkness” walk campaign over the next few months.

The campaign, through the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, aims to reduce the number of suicides through education and awareness.

The walk in Melbourne will be held on Nov. 2 at Wickham Park.

In 2022, Brevard County saw 115 suicide deaths, out of the 3,500 reported across the state, according to FLHealthCharts.

All the members of the Melbourne group have experienced the tragic loss of a loved one.

Sue and Tim Audley’s son, James, was 21-years-old when he took his life 8 years ago.

“He was a good-looking kid, who always had the girls kind of dripping off of him, he had tons and tons of friends, we are from New York, and all of his best friends are still in New York, when we moved down here we were only here for about a year when we lost him,” Sue Audley said.

Audley said she doesn’t want any families to go through what they’ve been through.

They spend a lot of time as mental health advocates talking to parents to promote healing conversations and be proactive about spotting warning signs.

“I think if James knew the help that was out there, and the support that was out there, and the people available at your fingertips, I think that would have helped him,” she said.

Deb Kofkin also lost her son 8 years ago, and says the group has been a safe haven after experiencing deep loss.

“You don’t have that great pain without great love. I tend to focus on the seven thousand days my son was alive, and the good times that we shared,” Kofkin said.

But thankfully, they have each other to help deal with the pain. 

If you would like to participate, here's more information on how you can join.