Lighting the Way

By Laura Breen Galante

For the past 10 years, Lindsay Schwartz has gathered with 25 to 40 friends and family members for a stroll around Lake Baldwin in Orlando, decked out in colorful beaded necklaces.

While their walk looks like a cheerful event and includes some camaraderie, it is actually much more significant. The stroll, known as the Out of the Darkness Walk, is a reminder of a heartbreaking reality. Lindsay and her team walk in remembrance of her father, Roger Greenhut, who died by suicide in 2012 – three days before his 64th birthday.

Pictured with Lindsay Schwartz on her wedding day are her parents, Susan and Roger Greenhut; her husband Joseph Schwartz; and her brother Adam Greenhut.

Roger grew up in the Bayside area of Queens, New York, and was the life of the party, always surrounded by friends and food.

“For 27 years, I had the kind of dad you dream of having,” says Lindsay. “Some people don’t have that for even one day. I was very lucky and very blessed.”

A few years prior to his passing, Roger suffered a debilitating spinal injury due to an accident at work, and his recovery was further complicated by difficult surgeries. While Lindsay describes him as “physically and mentally tired,” no one ever expected his life to end the way it did.

“My dad’s death shocked and rocked all of us,” she says. “He never outwardly suffered from mental health issues. I talked to my dad the night before – we had planned to get lunch that day.”

Lindsay’s family and friends, including her mom Susan and brother Adam, were devastated to lose Roger.

An Outpouring of Love

“Within two hours of us finding out, we had 30 people in our family home in Longwood, and it was a revolving door for days,” says Lindsay. “And not in a shiva way – people just came. There were more than 400 people at his memorial service. He was a very well-loved man.”

It was Adam who first heard about the Out of the Darkness Walk, which is affiliated with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), and the family agreed it would be a wonderful way to honor Roger. Since 2015, the family has dedicated their efforts to fundraise in his name. Well, not exactly Roger’s name – the family named their team Andy Gross, after a pseudonym Roger often used when introducing himself or making reservations.

“It was an ongoing joke,” says Lindsay. “He was always very funny.”

To date, Team Andy Gross has collected and donated $56,000 to the AFSP, which helps fund scientific research; offers professional programs; educates the public about mood disorders and suicide prevention; promotes policies and legislation that impact suicide and prevention; and provides resources for survivors of suicide loss and people at risk.

The statistics are staggering. Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. More than 48,000 Americans died by suicide in 2021, and 1.7 million people attempted to take their own lives. The walk brings together those who share a common heartbreak.

“You are surrounded by other people who have suffered a loss like yours,” says Lindsay. “And it’s a loss that you can’t fathom until you’ve had that kind of loss.”

The team walks in honor of Roger as well as three dear friends: Dan Cooper, Marie Gordon, and Brittany Hammond.

Far Too Many Colors

Walkers don colored necklaces to identify their lost loved ones. A gold necklace indicates you’ve lost a parent. Red means spouse. Orange denotes a sibling. White signifies a child. There are too many colors, and all are worn. You can even walk in support of yourself. Lindsay met a participant this past year who shared that she was walking to encourage herself to keep showing up.

“While we’re here for different reasons, we’re all here for the same cause,” says Lindsay, who finds the walks to be therapeutic.

The event is also a way to reinforce the message that suicide isn’t a taboo subject but rather one that needs to be discussed.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s mission is to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.

The next Out of the Darkness Walk is planned for Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Lake Baldwin. Visit Supporting. AFSP.org for more information and other ways to support the organization.

“One reason that I do the walk, share about the walk, and share my dad’s and our family’s story,” says Lindsay, “is it’s imperative that the stigma associated with mental health and suicide needs to be eliminated.”

Team Andy Gross, named in remembrance of Roger Greenhut, on one of their Out of the Darkness Walks.

So, every year, Team Andy Gross shows up. They show up for Roger, his family, and the two granddaughters (Lindsay’s children) that he never met. One of the girls is named Rachael, after him. Team Andy Gross also shows up for everyone who needs support. They come from as far away as Philadelphia and Ohio, bringing babies in strollers and kids on scooters. They walk in the sun and (once) even in the rain.

“They show up big,” says Lindsay.

This story was originally published in print in Summer 2024.