GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The 21st annual Stomp Out Stigma Walk for Mental Health takes place this Saturday in downtown Grand Rapids.
Registration begins at 8 o'clock and the walk starts at 9 a.m. from the Seward Avenue parking lot on Lake Michigan Drive, on the Grand Valley State campus. Christy Buck is executive director of the "Be Nice" program, which will benefit from the proceeds raised. She tells WOOD Radio the goal is to eradicate the stigma of mental illness, which is the "number one barrier to people seeking help and treatment when they're struggling with a mental-health disorder.
"And those are labels that we put upon what we think the illness is. When, in actuality, it's a physical condition that happens in the brain."
Buck was a guest on West Michigan's Morning News.
"We want as many people as we can get to come (for the Stigma Walk). At one point, prior to COVID (pandemic) we had 1,800 people walking with us. We're rallying and getting more numbers," Buck said.
"Be Nice" is a program with a four-step action plan designed to prevent suicide. The steps - to notice, invite, challenge and empower - encourages people to challenge themselves and others to seek appropriate professional help when they notice mental-health concerns. The program educates students about mental illnesses and encourage them to exchange stereotypes for understanding, compassion, and acceptance.
Walk organizers say registration is free, but you need to raise money in order to receive a walk t-shirt. If you individually raise at least $100 you will get a complementary walk t-shirt.
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