Students at high schools across Ottawa wore purple Thursday to commemorate 14-year-old Daron Richardson who died by suicide last week, and also encourage others to seek help.

The movement to wear purple for Daron spread quickly on social media websites, and was also relayed by text messaging.

High school students at Lisgar Collegiate say they're hoping the gesture will show other teens that it's okay to talk about their problems.

"This really shows support, so maybe if someone else is going through what she was going through, they'll know that support is there," said Erin Laverty.

"I think the student body as a whole feels for Daron's loss and any tension or pain on our community, we all fell that and we all want to be there to support each other, so I think that's the message we're getting out," added Weikai Chen.

Thousands of mourners attended a memorial service at Scotiabank Place on Wednesday to celebrate Daron's life. Daron was rushed to hospital on Nov. 12. She died the next day in hospital.

If you need help or know someone who does, the following services are available: