CMH hosts mental health awareness event

By MEGAN HUGHES

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Wakefield — The 11th annual Walk a Mile in My Shoes rally at the Wakefield VFW was held last week, as area students and people from local health systems area mental health awareness groups gathered to spread awareness of the importance of mental health and combatting the stigma of seeking help.

The program began at 11 a.m. as guest speakers spoke about their personal experiences with mental health.

Philip Hefner-Gardiepy from Northpoint Behavioral Health was a returning speaker to the event. He said he was glad to be back for such an important event. He spoke about the importance of mental health, and how it should be adressed similarly to physical health, with routine health care.

Dustin Pitrone, volunteer and organizer of this year’s rally from Gogebic Community Mental Health, was quite happy with this year’s turn out, as the program continues to grow each year.

“This is our 11th annual that Gogebic Community Mental Health has put on. It started in Lansing in 2010 just as a way to raise awareness, to encourage politicians to put more attention and funding toward mental health programs, which carried onto the rest of the state after that event,” he said.

This year’s slogan was “Courage is knowing when to ask for help.”

“With stigma around mental health, people don’t like to seek help,” said Pitrone. “It is not a weakness to have a mental illness, developmental disability or substance abuse problem. But, its a courage when you are able to put a foot forward to ask for help, and take that first step.”

The program collaborated with the Range Suicide Prevention Council and area schools. The RSPC had on display several of its memory quilts — each one recalling people who have died by suicide.

Following the speeches at the VFW, people set off on a brief walk along the lake shore, led by students from area schools. After the walk, people gathered inside the VFW for food and sharing stories.

Amanda Cole of CMH said the program has grown substantially since she had first began volunteering with the event. “One of the big changes was the addition of a theme each year,” she said.