Hundreds of drivers across the Southeast will descend to Waterford City later tonight and into tomorrow morning to raise funds for suicide awareness.
Now in it’s third year, Drive Into Light sees car enthusiasts come together once a year to highlight mental health, using their shared interest in cars to get the message across.
The event has raised thousands throughout the years, with several suicide prevention charities benefiting from the event.
Speaking to WLR News, event organiser Helen Shanahan from Southside Motor Club said hundreds will be in attendance.
“We’re holding a drive into light in aid of AWARE. We’ll be at Gorey M11 service station from 9pm tonight and we’ll be departing at 11 o’clock and we’ll be going through different counties through the country to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention.
“We will then head for New Ross and Wexford, then onto Tesco Ardkeen in Waterford and we’ll be in Waterford then until 1.45 am and there’ll be we’ll be heading on to Carlow, before heading to Tesco’s in Nass and then finishing at Bray seafront for Sunrise.”
- 449 people died by suicide in 2021- 359 males (80%) and 90 females (20%)
- The overall suicide rate was 9.2 per 100,000*
- The male suicide rate was 14.9 per 100,000* compared to the female suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000*
The Southside Motor Club is also holding a raffle with all proceeds going to suicide prevention charity, Aware.
Helen Shanahan continued saying that registration for the event is still open.
“From previous years we’ve had about two to three hundred cars and it’s looking the same again this year. There’s a lot of people that’s after registering as well and for anyone who does want to take part in tonight’s event they can still come along to Gorey M11 service station between 9pm and 11pm tonight and register and they’ll also be able to join in from the counties we will be stopping in.”
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