By John Finefrock
Rise Above Violence
The students of Rise Above Violence’s YouthRise program are set to host the second annual Mental Health Awareness Walk on May 22. This is a free event.
“I never had a deep understanding of what mental health was before I participated in the previous walk [in 2019],” said Kaylee Su, who is helping plan this year’s event. “I’ve learned how important mental health is and how it affects my own life. I’m so excited for the upcoming event on May 22 so I can further my understanding and growth.”
The first 50 people to register will receive a free event T-shirt. You can register for the walk by sending an email to john@riseaboveviolence.org, or by calling or texting (970) 403-5461.
The walk was founded in 2019 by Sarah Ross and Diana Scott, who were seniors at Pagosa Springs High School at the time.
“We created the walk to be short and sweet and to emphasize that it’s OK to talk about mental health issues,” said Ross, adding, “By confronting the issue of mental health, we can grow to find ways to help those in need.”
“P.S. It’s okay (to talk about it)” is the slogan for this event.
Day-of registration will begin at 9 a.m. at Town Park. The walk will start at 10 a.m.
We’ll walk from Town Park up main street by the courthouse building, back to Hot Springs Boulevard and end at Yamaguchi Park, where informational booths about mental health resources will be set up and our guest speaker will present around 11 a.m. Folks who have preregistered for the event can pick up their T-shirts prior to the walk from 9 to 10 a.m.
Rise Above Violence is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides 24-hour support and advocacy services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault or other forms of violence. Visit www.riseaboveviolence.org for more information or call (970) 264-9075 to talk to an advocate today.
