Shine a Light Vigil — For Those Who Needn’t Struggle Alone - The Source

Those who’d like to take part in the Shine a Light 24-hour vigil, or make a donation toward mental health programming for youth, can do so at the links below. Credit: Nicola Carpinelli

Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone’s hand is the beginning of a journey.
At other times, it is allowing another to take yours.

Attributed to the writer Vera Nazarian, the above quote is also a guiding principle of Shine a Light, a 24-hour vigil dedicated to mental health awareness that will illuminate hours both dark, bright and all those between at the Drake Park footbridge, beginning at 7pm on Sept. 25.

Organizers told the Source they hope those struggling know they’re not alone.

Presented by Hearts Unknown Education (aka HÚE), and in collaboration with National Alliance of Mental Illness Central Oregon, Shine a Light is an inaugural event.

Participants can sign up to hold a light-saber beacon for half-hour or hour segments, helping create a continuous light throughout the vigil. Those interested can donate or sign up on the Shine a Light Signup Genius webpage. Donations will benefit the mental health programming offered by HÚE and NAMI Central Oregon.

“The light is a visible symbol of hope and connection,” says HÚE founder and visual artist Nicola Carpinelli. “Our event is rooted in a simple belief that communities have the power to change the conversation around mental health. What begins along the banks of the Deschutes River in Bend can become a message that travels far beyond it.”

Mental health deserves to be seen, supported and prioritized, Carpinelli added.

An Italian American artist, Carpinelli founded the youth-centered art-therapy program and workshop in Bend. The name riffs on “Parts Unknown,” the travel/culinary docuseries featuring Anthony Bourdain, who died in 2018.

Originally, Carpinelli gave one of his paintings the title, “Hearts Unknown,” which appeared on the cover of the Source in September 2019. The coverage was dedicated to his “Dead Poets” exhibit which featured portraits of various artists — Kurt Cobain, Robin Williams, Kate Spade — which coincided with Suicide Awareness Week that year.

In 2022, Carpinelli founded Hearts Unknown Education, the Source reported. The nonprofit, located in the Bend Central District, offers youth programs dedicated to art, music and self-expression in a welcoming space with open studio time.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five high school students seriously considered suicide in the past year. Among 50 states and Washington, D.C., Oregon has the 15^th-highest youth suicide rate for those under 24. For that same age group, suicide is a leading cause of death, second only to vehicle crashes, according to the state health authority.

Nicola Carpinelli and Maya Heck will host a 24-hour Shine a Light vigil in Drake Park to spread awareness of mental health among youth. And, yes, the two will be there the whole 24. Credit: Nicola Carpinelli

Maya Heck, a psychiatrist at St. Charles Health System and board president at HÚE, told the Source that suicide ideation isn’t something that adults can quell by telling kids to be more resilient.

“It’s really a community issue, and we have to ask what we’re doing to create environments where kids can feel like they really belong and have somewhere to turn,” Heck said. “Bottom line, Shine a Light is a call to action for adults to stop waiting for kids to be in crisis before we show up for them. Ask yourself: Who are the young people in my life, and do they know they can come to me?”

During the Shine a Light event, organizers will provide camp chairs and a warming tent for participants and their friends and family to stay cozy. There’ll be hot beverages and snacks, too. After the 24-hour mark, HÚE will host a DJ party celebration for participants and their friends and family.

Carpinelli says that every hour of the vigil has done its job if even one person walks through Drake Park and feels a little less heavy, a little less isolated.

“We gather by the river not to hold a light, but to hold space for one another, because no one should ever have to navigate their hardest moments alone,” Carpinelli added. “Healing happens when we bring mental health out of the shadows — together.”

There will be an opening reception for “All the Colors of HÚE: The Voices and Visions of Our Community’s Youth” at Open Space from 5-7pm on Sept. 4. The exhibit runs through Sept. 25.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, support is available 24/7. You can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with the Crisis Text Line.