On September 28th, 2019, a group from Thrive participated in the Minnesota NAMI Walk. This is a yearly fundraising campaign for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) to raise awareness of mental illnesses and raise funds to help individuals and families right here in Minnesota. It started at Minnehaha Falls and turned out to be a beautiful day! Governor Tim Walz was even there before the walk, speaking about mental health and breaking stigma.
Thrive had participants from Willow Haven, New Visions Center, and the Leadership Team. We reached our goal and raised over $500 as a team! We set up a small picnic before the walk and everyone had a chance to go through the vendors and pick up totes full of swag and resources. One staff shared that she obtained a bunch of resources and was able to network with a bunch of providers before the walk. It is a 5k walk that is dog-friendly, and you even get rewarded with kettle corn at the end!
Willow Haven had four individuals from our program attend the walk also. It is a great opportunity for them to engage in a community that advocates for mental health and fights stigma. One individual shared that she really enjoyed the walk and felt great about being surrounded by that many people supporting mental illnesses. It has been the hope of myself and staff at Willow Haven to increase the involvement of this walk every year, so I encourage you all to mark your calendars for next year and hope to see you there!