Thousands of people gathered at Jones Beach on Sunday morning for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s annual Out of the Darkness Walk, an event that brings families and friends together to raise awareness about suicide prevention and honor loved ones lost.

Among those participating was Dennis Duca of Bethpage. He and his wife have taken part in the walk for the past 20 years in memory of their daughter, Cherilyn.

“In our 16th year, I turned to my wife and said, ‘I don’t know if I can do this anymore. We’ve been doing this as long as she was alive. But we persevered and said we have to keep doing it. And we are both very active in the chapter as volunteers,” Duca said.

As of Sunday afternoon, the walk had raised more than $685,000 and was closing in on its $750,000 fundraising goal.

The money raised will help fund suicide prevention research, advocacy efforts and educational programs.