Local Mental Health Walk Becomes National Virtual Event
NAMIWalks 5K becomes NAMIWalks Your Way, Joins National Day of Hope on October 10
Pittsburgh – Every year, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, known locally as NAMI Keystone Pennsylvania, brings together thousands of people to raise mental health awareness and funds through NAMIWalks Keystone PA. This year NAMIWalks is “going virtual.” On Saturday, October 10, NAMI Keystone PA will participate in NAMIWalks Your Way: A National Day of Hope. This Saturday also marks World Mental Health Day and the last day of Mental Illness Awareness Week.
Instead of walking a 5K together at Monroeville Community Park, participants will choose an activity of their choice and join virtually with nearly 70 other NAMIWalks and hundreds of thousands of mental health advocates from across the country.
Many participants still plan to walk, either on their treadmill at home, around the neighborhood , or through a local park—all while taking precautions to stay safe. Others plan to hula-hoop, flip pancakes, practice yoga, or do another activity they enjoy. They will share their activities on social media and follow NAMI Keystone PA’s program on Facebook, Instagram, and on our website: www.namikeystonepa.org/nami-events/namiwalks.
“One in five adults experience mental illness, but it touches five in five people either directly or indirectly,” says Christine Michaels, CEO of NAMI Keystone PA. “Now more than ever, our communities need to come together to raise awareness and let people know they are not alone.”
To join NAMIWalks Your Way, visit namiwalks.org/keystonepa. There is no registration fee, but fundraising is encouraged. Funds raised support NAMI Keystone PA’s free local mental health programs and services.
“This year we are already seeing an increased demand for mental health services,” says Michaels. “Our walk slogan ‘mental health for all’ has never been truer.”
NAMIWalks is supported across the country by National Lead Sponsor, Alkermes, and National Partner, Takeda Lundbeck. Locally, NAMIWalks Keystone PA’s premier sponsors are UPMC Health Plan, Community Care Behavioral Health, and UPMC Western Behavioral Health. The major sponsor is Cigna.
NAMI Keystone PA is part of the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
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