May 15, 2013
State Rep. Jason Rojas and Pat Rehmer, commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, will serve as the honorary chairmen of the 10th annual fund-raising walk Saturday in Hartford’s Bushnell Park for the Connecticut Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
The walk event is from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and features live music, food, fun and games, plus the opportunity to help raise money, and raise awareness and help reduce the stigma associated with having a mental illness.
The National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) reports that mental disorders are common, affecting one in five Americans with one in twenty living with a serious mental disorder that impairs their ability to function. According to Kate Mattias, executive director of the Connecticut alliance, “The walk demonstrates that people living with mental illness are just like everyone else and that many individuals recover and live productive lives. Also, the walk is a fun time for families and friends.”
Registration for the walk starts at 9 a.m., and walk start time is 10 a.m. The walk starts at the Bandshell in Bushnell Park. For more information, visit NAMI.