MOSES LAKE - Two Moses Lake friends completed the 17-mile Out of the Darkness Overnight walk in Seattle over the weekend.

The charity event helps raise money for suicide research, education, survivor and awareness programs for prevention and to help people impacted by suicide.

Friends Laurie Vaillancourt and Cheryl Lalk took part in the walk to honor Vaillancourt's brother, Kevin Vaillancourt, 39, of Moses Lake, who died by suicide in 2011. He was seeing a counselor for severe depression before his death, his sister said.

"It was rainy and cold, we met a lot of people," Laurie Vaillancourt said of the event. "It was a very healing experience, sharing our story with other people and hearing other people's stories. I believe there were about 1,000 walkers."

The women made new connections. Laurie Vaillancourt said she plans to keep in touch with her new friends on Facebook and Twitter.

She met a Washington, D.C. family who lost a child to suicide several years ago. For the past four years, the father and a surviving son traveled across the country, taking part in suicide prevention walks.

"It was neat to see people from all over the country be part of it," Laurie Vaillancourt said.

She said she would participate in the walk again.

For more information, visit theovernight.donordrive.com/.