What to know before you go this year:
The annual Winter Solstice event was started in 2013 by the Survivors of Suicide and Friends as an opportunity for communities to gather on the longest (and often coldest) night of the year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Now in its seventh year, the event aims to shine a light of issues around suicide and mental illness, without shame of stigma. It is a free community event held on June 21 from 5pm.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Former Australian of the Year and family violence campaigner Rosie Batty will headline the 2019 event. Ms Batty was thrust into the public sphere in 2014 after her son, Luke, was murdered by his father.
She will be joined by fitness expert and R U OK? ambassador Commando Steve Willis. Having spent ten years in the Australian Special Forces he is passionate about mental health issues facing those who have served in the armed forces.
Anti-violence and victim support advocate Kathy Kelly will also speak. In 2012 Ms Kelly's son Thomas was killed after being punched in the face by a stranger. After his death the family became campaigners against alcohol-fuelled violence. In 2016 her other son Stuart died by suicide.
The event will be MC'd by David Astle, with music from The Northern Folk, Gateway Life Church African Choir and Patrick Lionel.
This year's event will be live streamed to Benalla.
Receive our daily newsletter straight to your inbox each morning from The Border Mail. Sign up her
