TELL has organised walks on set dates in three locations: Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka. 

 

Tokyo: September 10th, evening walk with candle lighting ceremony honouring those who have died by suicide

Osaka: September 14th, morning walk

Fukuoka: September 21st, morning walk

 

While you can pick any day, date or time between September 10th and October 10th and organise your own walk along your own route, or your own event in your own style, ...joining one of TELL’s walks is an easy way to participate in the Step Up Challenge.

 

Whether you choose to join solo, with friends, family or coworkers, with your whole school, office, or club, TELL welcomes you to #StartTheConversation with us about mental health and suicide prevention while also getting some gentle exercise!

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What is involved?

When you register at www.tellevents.org, you also need to RSVP to the address for each walk organiser: 

Tokyo: outreachteam@telljp.com

Osaka: kansai@telljp.com

Fukuoka: outreach.kyushu@telljp.com

 

The RSVP lets the organiser know to expect you to join on the day, that they should contact you to let you know (1) the meeting point and general route, and also (2) whether they should prepare TELL swag for you.

 

Each organiser also acts as your point of contact for any questions.

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What to expect on the day?

• What should I wear?

Wear whatever is going to be comfortable for you to walk in. If you want to raise awareness by wearing something special, or your whole team has decided on a themed outfit, this is also totally welcome!

 

• What should I bring?

You don’t have to bring anything special, just yourself. As the walks are taking place outside, then you might want to prepare for the conditions, bringing whatever you might need to make yourself most comfortable as you participate, (candles, flashlight, cameras, drinks, snacks, hats, sunglasses, coats, etc.)

 

• Pace

The goal of these walks is not to race and complete them as quickly as possible, but rather to create a shared space to #StartTheConversation. The walks will proceed at a comfortable walking pace, (as allowed by the route). If the pace on the day is too fast for you and you are having a hard time, let the organiser know.  

 

• Route

The organiser of each walk will contact you to let you know the meeting point on the day and also the general route. If they are planning to hike up any mountains or cover any particularly tough terrain, they should let you know in advance so you can make an informed decision about whether the walk is a good fit for you.

 

• Is the route accessible?

If you have questions about the planned routes or specific needs to be able to participate, please contact the organiser of each walk.

 

• What if the weather is bad on the day?

In general, the scheduled walks will go ahead as planned whatever the weather. If conditions are expected that could make it dangerous to proceed, then the organiser will let you know that the event has been cancelled and when/if there is a new date.

 

• Candle Lighting Ceremony

At the end of the Tokyo walk, participants will be invited to join TELL staff in lighting candles to remember and honour those who have lost their lives to suicide. This will be a moment of quiet reflection where you are also invited to share the name(s) of those who are important to you who have died by suicide, though there is no requirement to do so if you do not wish to. 

 

• Will I be required to share my story/reasons for joining?

There are many reasons why you might be choosing to join the walk and there is no requirement that you talk to the other participants or organisers about them. If you want to share your story, the walk leaders are there on the day,  or if you are looking for support for yourself or others in your life, there is a lot of information on the website https://telljp.com/i-am-feeling-suicidal/  or https://telljp.com/worried-about-someone/ .
 

• What do I receive?

Each participant will receive surprise TELL goods (as long as supplies last). In the past, these have included swag such as stickers and/or TELL tote bags.  If you prefer not to receive stuff, you can indicate this on the registration form.

 

• Can I win a prize?

Most steps: It is unlikely that the TELL organised walks alone will cover enough ground for you to garner the most steps prizes, but you can combine the hosted walk with your other steps across the day.

Raising Awareness: You may be eligible to win this prize. Please find out more details here. 

Fundraising: Anyone who participates in the Step Up Challenge can raise funds to support TELL. Please find more information on setting up a Donorbox account here. The highest fundraiser in each category wins!