Tinian High School Army JROTC Light Up the Night Walk

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Story and Photos by: C/SGT Sofia Del Rosario

Stallion Battalion leads this year’s Light Up the Night Walk

On September 29, 2023, the Stallion Battalion was given the opportunity to lead this year’s Light Up the Night 2023 Walk around the fiesta grounds.

This year’s Tinian Light Up the Night is a way to raise awareness to prevent suicide prevention and for us to have more hope in our path. In the event people from all around the island were able to get a candle, some food, and also a “Hope Board” where you are able to stick positive messages as a way for people to have some hope to know that they are not alone and to understand that they can always get help.

“This year’s Light Up the Night was an amazing event. The organization of the event was well put, and there were so many student and adult volunteers who helped in making the event possible. Though the only bad thing that occurred was the slight rain when marching, I hope that in the next year’s light up the night, there are even more participants!”

C/SGT Stephanie Diaz

There is also a small activity where you can write down all your negative thoughts, or times when you may have felt down and put it in a box where they would later burn it as they play music as well as share some stories from students around the school.

“I think the Light Up the Night event was an entertaining, but also helpful event for the community. The symbolic acts that were done during the event, like the burning of the papers with people stating their suicide attempts, helped people get some things off of their chest. However, I hope to see more stations and activities that help people write their feelings and regrets so that the load they may have would get lighter on them. All-in-all, I see the event as a success.”

C/ Geremy Santos

We hope that everyone who joined that night had an enjoyable time, gained a better understanding of the current situation, and for some, found renewed hope for the times ahead!