The first virtual Winter Solstice was such a success organisers are looking to live-stream the event annually, though reassure attendees it won't replace the physical gathering.
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Annette and Stuart Baker said the 2020 Solstice manged to reach tens-of-thousands of people from different cities around Australia and different countries across the world.
Although those watching might have been hundreds of kilometres apart, the event still managed to forge connections.
Mrs Baker said it was amazing to see people connecting and sharing their stories in the comments of the live stream.
"It was just a different way of connecting," she said.
"At the physical event you've got people with their arms around one another standing around fires, but [virtually] we've got it in text, beautiful comments."
It was an extremely different Winter Solstice for much of the community, but non-more so the Bakers, who instead of freezing side of stage in Albury were in a toasty Melbourne studio watching the event unfold.
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The pair, who started the event after their 15-year-old daughter Mary died by suicide, were determined the event would go ahead in some form during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"The comments really confirmed there were a lot of people who very much appreciated and need an event like this," Mrs Baker said.
"We had beautiful comments from people who lost a person to suicide or a poem... there's a beautiful desperation to share and this is the perfect platform to say 'this is what happened'. It just cements the fact there isn't another event like it."
The virtual platform also allows people to re-watch it and schools to study the speeches.
Mr Baker said the pair were previously reticent to stream the service online, fearing people would not attend the physical event. But would now explore their options.
"I think there will continue to be a physical event every year, but it could be livestreamed as well," he said.
Mr Baker said the Winter Solstice's message of community and hope was needed now more than ever, but so too was action.
"Mental health needs a lot more funding, a lot more emphasis," he said. "Not just talk, we need services and ease of access to all services.
"With mental health good care leads to good outcomes."
Mrs Baker said far more people die by suicide annually than have died by coronavirus, but the situation was not treated as an urgent disaster.
"We are in a mental health crisis, there's no doubt about that, but we're not screaming it from the rooftops," he said.
- Lifeline 13 11 14
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
Digital journalists with The Border Mail.
