NAMI Walk

I attended the NAMI Walk kick-off event today. My spouse and I are regulars on the NAMI Walk. We missed last year and I had to look up the reason why. We were riding our bicycles for cancer research in the QC Tour de Brew with my Mom and our friend Marla. The year before, the NAMI Walk may have been the most wet ever. Even the dog wondered what we were doing walking at Trueblood in a torrential downpour. The joke is it always rains on the NAMI Walk day, although last year was a beautiful day, so they may need a new joke.

The NAMI Walk is important on many fronts. It raises money for programming, education, groups and R Place. It also is important for the community to show of support for those living with mental illness. The walk is a collective lifting of the stigma often implied or associated with mental illness.

Today at the kickoff, a few people told their stories of dealing with mental illness/depression/anxiety. There were tears shed as the stories hit home with others in the room.

We walk and donate to the NAMI Walk for many reasons, but one reason is we do it because others may not be able to on any given day. Cancer or mental health are both illnesses and our society needs to treat them the same in funding, compassion and research.

Please consider joining the Johnson County Team JC Lift the Stigma or donating to my page. Every $1 helps and is important.

https://www.namiwalks.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=141465