Join Mayor Bass and Congresswoman Napolitano
for Mental Health Awareness Month
LOS
ANGELES, April 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The
National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater L.A. County
(NAMI GLAC) will celebrate its 20th
annual NAMIWalks Greater LA County Mental Health Festival during
Mental Health Awareness Month on Saturday,
May 4, 2024. This free community wide event at LA Historic
State Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
will feature a 5K fundraising walk,
activities, and food trucks.
For 20 years, NAMIWalks has been leading mental health
conversations and community building in Los Angeles and connects Angelenos whose lives
or families have been affected by mental illness. The Walk raises
awareness, fights stigma, and raises funds. "Funds raised enable
NAMI GLAC to continue to provide
free programs, school presentations, and services, including
peer-led classes and support groups throughout LA County," said
Traute Winters, NAMI GLAC's Executive Director.
On stage, Mayor Karen Bass will
speak to commemorate this occasion. NAMI
GLAC will present the inaugural Mental Health Champion Award
to Congresswoman Grace Napolitano in
recognition of her years of work in mental health including
founding the Congressional Mental Health Caucus and initiating an
in-school mental health and suicide prevention program that has
helped students across 35 LA schools.
"I am deeply humbled and honored to receive this inaugural award
from NAMI," said Napolitano. "Whether meeting with our Mental
Health Caucus in Congress or with our Mental Health Consortium in
the San Gabriel Valley, NAMI and its outstanding advocates and
activists have been tremendous partners in elevating the issue of
mental health through increased funding and access to life-saving
care. I thank NAMI for supporting our efforts to expand mental
health and suicide prevention services in our schools, tackling
stigma head-on and amplifying our message that it is always okay to
ask for help. Together, we can continue to build a movement and
eventually live in a world where there is no stigma. Again, my
heartfelt thanks to NAMI for this truly special recognition."
The Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental
Health, Dr. Lisa Wong will be on
stage, along with NAMI Ambassador, Brittany
McGovern. Lauren Dyson,
multiplatinum singer-songwriter, will perform an original song.
The event will be co-emceed by award-winning
journalists Sandra
O'Neill (News Anchor for Telemundo
52's morning newscast "Noticiero Telemundo 52" airing weekdays
at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m). and
Annabelle Sedano, News Anchor
for NBC4 News (airing weekdays at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m).
Register online at www.namiwalks.org/LACounty . Festival
sponsors include Johnson & Johnson and Media Sponsor NBC4
Telemundo 52.
About The National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater Los
Angeles County (NAMI GLAC)
NAMI GLAC is the leading
countywide organization composed of grassroots-based chapters that
promote wellness, recovery, equality, and dignity for individuals
and families affected by mental illness and the community at large.
They work to provide leadership in advocacy, education, support,
and public awareness throughout Los
Angeles County.
Mental illness can be treated, and people living with mental
illness can recover to live fulfilling lives. To learn more about
how NAMI can help, visit namiglac.org. All NAMI programs and
services are free of charge for individuals living with mental
illness and families and friends who care for them.
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SOURCE National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)