DeKALB — NIU will be participating in Send Silence Packing, a traveling display exhibit,  Thursday in the MLK Commons.

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., numerous backpacks will be displayed as a representation of the lives lost to suicide. The Active Minds exhibit raises awareness to mental illness and helps to inspire action in preventing suicide.

Active Minds is a nonprofit organization aiming to improve how mental illness is approached and handled in the United States. Founder and Executive Director Alison Malmon started the group in 2003following her brother’s suicide, according to the Active Minds website.

Send Silence Packing first displayed at the National Mall in Washington, DC in 2008 and volunteers have since continued to set up suicide awareness exhibits across the country.

Active Minds staff and NIU volunteers will discuss the signs of suicide and how to help friends in distress or receive help needed for oneself, according to the NIU event calendar.

The event is coordinated by Helping Huskies Thrive, an organization on campus focused on helping students locate the resources they need to be successful during their collegiate years, according to its webpage.