Community briefs

Out of the Darkness Walk

The Flathead Valley Out of the Darkness Walk will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, at Kalispell Middle School, 205 Northwest Lane.

Part of a national effort supported by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, these annual events engage communities and provide an opportunity to acknowledge the ways in which suicide and mental health conditions have affected our lives and the lives of those we love and care about.

To register online for the local walk, go to supporting.afsp.org. For more information, contact chair Alison H. Schmaltz at 406-253-8851 or alischmaltz@gmail.com

For support and/or resources, visit www.afsp.org/get-help and www.afsp.org/resources.

In conjunction with the local Out of the Darkness Walk, the Montana Chapter for American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) will presents a one-hour program by Montana Chapter Programs Manager, Tracy Rassley. The program will be on Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Gathering Place at the Gateway Community Center, 1203 U.S. 2 W., Kalispell.

“Introduction to Supporting Those at Risk” is a 60-minute presentation that provides introductory information on how to support someone with lived experience. Participants who are interested in learning the basics of supporting someone with lived experience will learn what research tells us about suicide and understand the process of recovery and the complex effects that a suicidal crisis can have on a family or support system.

The target audience for this presentation are those who support someone with lived experience and community members interested in an introductory education program.

Participants will learn strategies for helping to support someone with lived experience, as well as relevant resources.

Walk to End Alzheimer’s

The Alzheimer’s Association’s annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place Saturday, Oct. 1, Kalispell Center Mall plaza, between Sunrift Brewery and Red Lion Hotel.

Registration begins at 10 a.m. and opening ceremonies get under way at 11 a.m.

The Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's is full of flowers — each carried by someone committed to raising funds and awareness to help end the disease. Visit alz.org/walk for more information about this year's event and to register.

Indroduction to meditation

The Kadampa Meditation Center of Denver will present a free public talk titled “Introduction to Modern Meditation” from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the basement level of the McGarvey Law Firm at 345 First Ave. E., in Kalispell. Learn how to combine meditation with modern life and practice simple meditations to cultivate positive states of mind.

Dementia seminar

Most individuals who experience memory loss begin with mild symptoms that still require care and can cause stress for primary caregivers. Prestige Senior Living is hosting a free webinar on caring for a loved one facing mild dementia at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m. MST.

This webinar will be hosted by dementia consultant Adria Thompson, a certified dementia practitioner and founder of Be Light Care Consulting. During the webinar, Thompson will examine a variety of topics related to

cognitive decline, including different forms of early memory loss and their causes and symptoms.

Attendees will leave with an understanding of how to provide more care if a loved one facing cognitive decline refuses help and ways to approach difficult situations. This includes difficult conversations such as taking away a car, moving their loved one to a long-term care facility and establishing regular doctor’s appointments.

To RSVP for this free webinar,  visit prestigecanhelp.com.