A group of superheroes will land at Glenn Orden Oval this week to start a conversation about suicide.
Overdownunder’s Suicide Symposium will visit Wyndham for the first time, encouraging those suffering in silence speak up.
Overdownunder Jerry Farsoun said the event was a fun way of talking about a topic that wasn’t fun.
“I founded Overdownunder after my own personal attempt at suicide,” he said.
“People feel uncomfortable speaking about their feelings when they’re down.”
He said there were plenty of services out there but often people didn’t know where to go.
“What you need when in that situation is to be understood, not judged,” he said.
“Somebody could be a victim of domestic violence, they could be gay, they could just be sad – what we aim to do is make them realise is that it’s OK to feel that way and there is help.”
Mr Farsoun said the organisation aimed to run fun events that encouraged conversations and educated people.
He said children looked up to their superheroes so the inclusion of more than 30 characters was a way to get a discussion going.
“Our main target audience is the kids but we’re hoping to educate parents, too, so they can get talking about this serious topic,” he said.
The event will also feature short films and performances by DJs, a Michael Jackson impersonator and bands.
The Suicide Symposium will be at Glen Orden Sport Pavilion in Werribee on Saturday, April 2 from 11am-10pm.
Anyone suffering depression can call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
