Duane Hicks
It was a cold, windy morning, with a few snowflakes here and there, but people still came out in droves Saturday for the second-annual “Steps Against Stigma” 1K and 5K walk/run here.
Sponsored by the Fort Frances branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, the event drew about 75 men, women, and children, who not only got their morning exercise but did it in the name of a good cause.
The event began at the Sorting Gap Marina. After a warm-up led by Jackie Lampi-Hughes of Energy Fitness, the 1K walk/run took place at 9:30 a.m., followed by the 5K walk/run at 10 a.m.
CMHA Fort Frances educator/trainer Nancy Daley-Fulton noted the event kicked off Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 5-11)—a time “to help stomp out the stigma associated with mental illness.”
“Mental illness affects virtually everyone,” Daley-Fulton said Saturday.
“You either know someone who has a mental illness, you work with someone, live with someone, or you yourself are living with a mental illness.
“One-in-three people in a lifetime will be designated with a mental illness; one-in-five people within any year are designated with a mental illness,” added Daley-Fulton.
While some participants no doubt would have gone for a morning walk, jog, or run regardless of the event, others found the theme of “Steps Against Stigma” also spoke to them.
“Mother suffered with mental illness all my years I can remember,” said Neila Booth, who also participated in last year’s inaugural event here.
“It really hits home for me to do this and try to bring that message to everyone,” she noted.
“I just recently lost a niece who suffered with mental illness,” Booth added. “It was just a few weeks ago now, so for this year again, it hit home that much more for me.
“I just think it’s a good message,” she remarked. “We have to get that out there.”
Booth said no one ever talked about mental illness when she was a child.
“You went to school every day with your best friends, but they didn’t know what was going on behind closed doors because you didn’t talk about it,” she recalled.
Booth noted people need to communicate more about mental illness, and that’s why raising awareness with events like “Steps Against Stigma” is so important.
“If it gets people talking and helps just one person, it’s so worth it,” she reasoned.
Marcia McArthur, who walked with Booth, said both the exercise and the theme of “Steps Against Stigma” appealed to her.
“I’m getting back into shape so I wanted to go for a walk,” she explained. “And this is a good message to get across. . . .
“There are still a lot of people who won’t come out and talk about it,” McArthur stressed.
CMHA family liaison worker Christina Hahkala said organizers were pleased with the turnout.
“Any awareness we can bring to fight stigma is beneficial,” she noted.
“We want to thank everyone who came out and braved the elements,” added Hahkala.
