Out of The Darkness Walk – Aidan O’Neil

EVENT IS IN Chicago for 2026 – June 13, 2026 – REGISTER HERE

To donate to TEAM AIDEN – Go here.

To VOLUNTEER: CLICK HERE

By Maureen Holohan

Mo’ Motion alumni, parents and friends of the program are encouraged to support those who have been impacted by suicide and those suffering from mental health conditions. The Overnight Walk starts and ends at The Intrepid on West 46th and 12th Avenue. I will be working as crew and helping sign up other players and parents who would like to participate.

As a staff, like so many teachers, we saw many kids significantly impacted by the pandemic. Kids who were struggling with their mental health along with increased academic and social stress going into the pandemic were impacted more significantly than others once it was behind us.

Simply put, the best advice we can share with adults, parents and coaches as well as pre-teens and teens is to always have our eyes open. Get off your screens, look around and do regular face-to-face check-ins.

Second, at a bare minimum, we must do what we can to pave access for any individual who is struggling towards a safe person who will listen and then help direct to professionals as needed.

Third, as parents, it is important to always check in with children and to convey to coaches and teachers any stressful situations going on at home (and for teachers and coaches to call parents if there are red flags happening at school or on the team). Coaches, parents and teachers need to know this information and it can be kept confidential. It is also important for adults – parents, teachers, and coaches – to watch for signs of mental health struggles in peer groups and to go to professionals if it is warranted.

Below is the information about The Overnight Walk in NYC with links to the job descriptions and titles. Mo’ Motion has received permission from Aidan’s family to post this blog and promotion of the event itself.

Parents of other players have confided in me about how hard the pandemic was on their children, and one parent edited a tragic story in the New Yorker about a boy on the Upper East Side who committed suicide.

ABOUT AIDAN O’NEIL

On the basketball court, Aidan was the ultimate team player due to his penchant for passing and his passion for defense. His teammates and coaches loved his heart, hustle and energy, which he took with him to cross country in high school.

Most importantly, the world lost a kind soul.

Aidan Coakley O’Neil died on July 12, 2023. He was a gifted cross-country athlete and a beloved son, brother, grandson and friend. Aidan was born on February 27, 2006 in New York City and attended Riverdale Country School through 8th grade. For High School, Aidan became a treasured member of Iowa City Regina Catholic High School’s community where he was a standout student and decorated cross country and track runner, and member of the basketball team. 

Go here to DONATE to TEAM AIDAN O’NEIL – via a link to his brother’s page (Aiden also played for Mo’ Motion)

Below is the breakdown of Walker, Crew, and Volunteer roles we have at The Overnight. As a reminder, the event is in NYC on June 21^st – June 22^nd at the Intrepid Museum.

• Walkers – registration fee of $50 or $35 for students/military and agree to raise $1,000, $700 for students/military, and $500 for virtual
  • Walkers truly walk 16+ miles overnight. We have plenty of support along the route and no one is required to walk the entire mileage.
• Crew – registration fee and agree to work the event all night. No fundraising minimum but can fundraise if they choose to. Crew and Volunteers are the backbone of the event, and we could not run the walk without them.
  • You can learn more about Crew roles here. Some roles include medical, driving support vehicles, working stops, etc.
• Volunteers — no registration fee or fundraising minimum. Agree to work shorter shifts to support the event before, during and after.

Any questions or concerns?

If you would like to go with Mo and other Mo’ Motion volunteers, email mo@momotion.org

You can also contact Erin Kenny at American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

ekenny@afsp.org