This Year’s Annual SPAN Walk Wrap-up

Around 200 people joined in the 13th annual SPAN Walk on Sunday 16 March 2025. Those in attendance heard a warm and passionate Welcome to Country from traditional owner, Troy Firebrace, followed by a similarly warm welcome from Mayor Andrea Metcalf, who acknowledged the significant impact of suicide in our community and the courage of those in attendance who have lost loved ones.

Luke Baker was our invited guest speaker for the day, and had our walkers thoroughly engaged as he recalled his own lived experience and the trials and tribulations of his 3,249km ride from Esperance in WA to Bendigo in recognition of the number of lives lost to suicide in 2022.

As is customary, the Walk was led by Alannah McGregor and Bette Phillips-Campbell through Rosalind Park to bagpipe music, with a hundreds-metre long trail of walkers in teal blue shirts behind. Although rain was forecast during the Walk, it held off just long enough for the final walkers to return to Dai Gum San and attached their butterflies to the net commemorating loved ones who have been lost. Then, as the rain fell, walkers hugged, chatted, listened to a live performance by Emma Black and a barbecue lunch provided by Bendigo's Rotary Club. 

In spite of the weather, Central Victorians again came out in large numbers support of SPAN's cause - and in support of each other - to continue to raise awareness of the impact of suicide in our community. We look forward to welcoming you all to the next SPAN Walk, to be held on 15 March 2026.