By Anna Skinner
You are not the pain you feel.
That’s the message former Westfield resident and current IUPUI student, Samantha Brinkman, wants to portray at her second Walk for Love event taking place in May.
Walk for Love is an anti-bullying/suicide prevention 5K run and walk. All proceeds go to To Write Love on Her Arms, a suicide prevention nonprofit organization.
Brinkman believes in the cause, and is also a victim of bullying accompanied with a suicide attempt during her freshman year of college.
The main medium of bullying for Brinkman was cyberbullying – people who she did not know would send her mean texts or Facebook messages.
“I was having a hard time adjusting to college in general, it’s a big transition, and I felt kind of lost,” Brinkman said. “I started to believe the things they were saying and thought everyone would be better off without me. I was hospitalized for attempted suicide.”
Brinkman spent a week in a stress center after her hospitalization, and said that experience really put things into perspective for her.
“Instead of just dwelling on the negative, I wanted to make something positive out of it and not let it defeat me,” she said. “I overcame it and want to help others overcome it. I want to take the stigma off of mental illness because it’s okay to not be okay. Everybody is not okay sometimes.”
There will be t-shirts and bracelets sold at the event, and a ceremony when people check-in. A few speakers will share their personal experiences with bullying and depression.
After the success of the event last year, Brinkman has been contacted by various companies hoping to assist this year’s event. Red Frog Events in Chicago wanted to help her with race bibs and ticketing and a t-shirt company, Bright Ideas, is making this year’s shirts for the event. Although all proceeds currently go to TWLOHA, Brinkman is searching for a local charity to donate to.
“We would love to donate to a local organization in any way,” she said. “People are finding out about it, people are wanting to get involved and that’s something we are very excited about. It’s (Walk for Love) still in the process of growing, but it is growing.”
This year, Brinkman has taken her goal of spreading love one step further. She recently placed many post-it notes with motivational messages around the IUPUI campus. She is also trying to partner with schools around the area to speak to the students and share her story.
Walk for Love takes place 11 a.m. May 23 at Cool Creek Park. Registration can be made before or at the event and costs $5. To register in advance, visit https://fundraising.active.com/event/walkforlove2015. Brinkman said that donations are greatly appreciated, and they can also be made on the site.
Get to know Brinkman
Age: 20
Education: IUPUI, majoring in biology and pre-med, hopes to go to med school and become a pediatrician
Hobbies: Painting and singing
Favorite Place: Lake house at Lake Tippecanoe. “It’s where I can always find peace.”
Favorite Movie: “Dark Knight Rises” and “The Vow”
