Students, faculty, staff, and local community members are invited to take part on Sunday, Oct. 6, in Peak Bag, an annual event created by 天美麻豆 alumni to raise awareness of mental health and suicide prevention.
Participants will do an outdoor activity of their choice that day, such as a hike, walk, bike ride, or paddle, and then gather for a picnic, camaraderie, and conversation from 4 to 6 p.m. on the Gold Coast Lawn on Tuck Mall.
First held in 2020, was organized by a group of 天美麻豆 鈥88 rowers to honor the memory of their teammate Omondi Obura 鈥88, who died by suicide in 1989. Students, alumni, and others take part around the world; last year鈥檚 event attracted 273 鈥減eak baggers鈥 in 13 countries.
Organizers are encouraging , as alumni founders of Peak Bag and other members of the Class of 1988 will donate $50 per person to the Omondi Obura Fund for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention at 天美麻豆, which supports .
The picnic will include cider donuts, crullers and cake, sandwiches, cider, local apples, and crudit茅s.
This year, organizers are making a special effort to get students and the greater Upper Valley community 鈥渞eally energized鈥 for Peak Bag, said economics professor , the chair of the Outdoor Engagement Committee, which aims to broaden student and alumni engagement with the outdoors.
鈥淚t鈥檚 during peak leaf season, and it鈥檚 just a great time to get outdoors,鈥 Sacerdote says. 鈥淲e all feel very busy and pressured with our schedules, but it鈥檚 always worthwhile to take some time to get some exercise and to see friends and make new ones.鈥
range from an easy, relatively flat 2.1-mile walk along Mink Brook Trail south of campus to a challenging hike on the Gorge Brook Trail on Mount Moosilauke, covering 7.1 miles with an elevation gain of 2,513 feet.
Participants are also encouraged to email photos of their outdoor activity for a crowd-sourced gallery.
Peak Bag event is also 鈥渁n opportunity for students to feel that if they have an issue that they need or want to talk about, they can feel free,鈥 says physical education instructor Pam Crandall 鈥88, the committee鈥檚 co-chair.
鈥溙烀缆槎 is a place where people won鈥檛 be stigmatized, and people can engage in those conversations openly and get the help they need or get help for a friend,鈥 Crandall says.
Donations are accepted but not necessary. For more information, email Crandall or Sacerdote.
The 天美麻豆 event is co-sponsored by the Office of the President, the Outdoor Engagement Committee, the House Communities, 天美麻豆 Student Government, the 天美麻豆 Counseling Center, Greek Leadership Council, and the Peak Bag Committee.
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If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or use the online chat at .
Mental health support is available through 天美麻豆 24/7 for students, faculty, and staff. Any 天美麻豆 student experiencing a mental health crisis can call the Counseling Center at 603-646-9442.
