Living For Tomorrow, an organization focused on mental health awareness, hosted its first 5K and one-mile remembrance walk this weekend.

About 100 people showed up to run or walk a on Sunday night, commencing National Suicide Prevention Week.

The participants accessorized themselves with glow sticks—purple for suicide prevention and green for mental health. They were encouraged on their route by bright lanterns with messages written on them, such as “Don’t give up” and “You got this.”

Living for Tomorrow director Layton Little said he became involved with the organization because of a scholarship he received his freshman year. The scholarship is given in memory of a student who committed suicide in his first year at a four-year university.

“The similarities between their son and myself were crazy,” Little said. “We played the same sports in high school, we were in the same leadership positions in high school and same leadership positions in my fraternity. I just realized that this person had everything put together and was going far and in one instant he decided to take his life. That could happen to me, that could happen to my best friend or my brother or sister. I just felt the need to start this and raise awareness on Mississippi State’s campus for a topic that’s not typically discussed unless you’re personally affected by it.”

McKenzie Amis, an MSU senior and Living For Tomorrow’s co-director of the week, said the organization is partnering with Student Counseling to do anonymous, free mental health testing on the Drill Field today.

Then, the group is doing a project called “Dear MSU.” Amis said the idea stemmed from an endeavor called “Dear World.”

“Basically, we’re going to take a photograph without the students’ faces in it where they can write down just a sentence or two, a story about themselves or maybe how they struggled,” she said.

Tonight there is a lantern release in remembrance of those who committed suicide. It begins at 8 p.m. at Chadwick Lake.

On Wednesday, there will be a backpack display where each backpack represents a student who commits suicide every year at four-year universities.

Wednesday night a speaker is coming from Madison, along with members of a family who lost their son and a student at Ole Miss. This event will be in the Colvard Student Union, but the room is to be decided.

“I can’t remember how many years ago, but they came and spoke to my high school, and I just know that it meant a lot to people to hear just how you should care and love on people,” Amis said. “You can never tell what’s going on with somebody.”

On Thursday, the organization hosts “Take What You Need, Give What You Can” on the Drill Field. This event includes passing out Post-Its with words of encouragement written on them. There are also blank ones, if people want to write their own messages. Amis said she wants to see them spread all over campus.

“Our main goal this week is just to make people feel like they are important and loved and valued as a student because I know sometimes you feel disconnected at college,” she said.

Then, on Saturday, Living for Tomorrow has 5,000 game day stickers to pass out with “Beat LSU” written on them, and they are passing out suicide prevention ribbons, which are teal and purple.

Amis said although she has not been directly affected by suicide, she was able to connect with other students who have gone through difficult times through this group.

“After being able to talk with students who have friends and family (who have dealt with this), I was able to make a personal connection and was able to serve in a bigger capacity,” Amis said.