The Annual Stepping on Stigma 5K event kicked off at TPA Park on Saturday with the highest turnout since its inception as volunteers calculated around 400 participants with additional vendors and volunteers bringing the festivities toward a count of around 450 to 500 people at TPA Park during the morning.
As participants began to lace their shoes for the race, other community members were registering for the event just before the opening ceremonies. According to Healthy Communities of Clinton County Coalition Executive Director Lorra Archibald, the organization saw over 300 participants pre-register for the event while around 50 or more registrants were signed up in the hour leading up to the kickoff.
Mental Health America-Wabash Valley Region President and CEO Brandi Christiansen led the opening ceremonies with a discussion about the importance of mental health and raising awareness for those who may experience struggles with mental health.
“Thank you for your commitment to challenge the stigma that ordinary folks in our communities face every day when they are considering getting help for their mental health challenges,” Christiansen said. “This is your monthly reminder that mental illness is no different from any other illness, and the earlier you seek an intervention for depression, anxiety or any other mental health challenge, the better your outcomes.”
Frankfort Mayor Judy Sheets also participated in the opening ceremonies by reading a proclamation to proclaim May as Mental Health Month in Frankfort. The proclamation read:
Whereas the area that someone lives in plays a significant role in their overall health and well-being; and
Whereas surroundings can impact if, how and when a person’s needs are met, which in turn affects mental health; and
Whereas having safe, stable and healthy homes and communities set the foundation for achieving and maintaining good mental health; and
Whereas with early and effective interventions, those individuals with mental health conditions can recover and lead full, productive lives; and
Whereas each business, school, government agency, health care provider, organization and citizen share the burden of mental health problems and has a responsibility to promote mental wellness and support prevention efforts.
Therefore, I, Mayor Judy Sheets, do hereby proclaim May 2024 as Mental Health Month in the City of Frankfort. As the Mayor, I also call upon the citizens, government agencies, public and private institutions, businesses and schools in Clinton County and the entire state of Indiana to recommit our community to increasing awareness and understanding of mental health, the steps our citizens can take to protect their mental health and the need for appropriate and accessible services for all people with mental health conditions.
As the participants were racing off throughout TPA Park, Archibald commented about the significance of the event that was launched around five years ago.
“This is our Stepping on Stigma annual 5K, and it’s really to raise awareness about mental health and to decrease the stigma related to it so people are not embarrassed or ashamed to seek help or resources for mental health,” Archibald said. “It’s something that affects almost every person, if not personally, then somebody that they care about, so we want people not to be embarrassed or have stigma related to those issues, and we want them to seek the resources and help they need.”
This year also saw medals shaped as butterflies, signifying that without change, life does not carry the same weight, which is symbolized by the metamorphosis of the butterfly according to Archibald.
“Butterflies change, they have all these stages of change, and that’s really how we are as humans,” Archibald said. “We have these stages of change, and we want to be the change that we see in other people, we see in our community and we see in the world. If we’re not willing to be the change, we’re never going to see change, and we want our community to be that change.”
This year also saw improved weather conditions compared to last year’s event which was held during heavy rains. This year saw participants racing amongst sunny skies, dipping into the shaded regions as they vied for the top finishing trophies, which acts as one of the main reasons Healthy Communities selects TPA Park as the venue for the event every year according to Archibald.
“This is always a great venue because part of it is in the sun, part of it is in the shade,” Archibald said. “We have a great Parks Department here in Frankfort, and our city parks are always wonderful, so this is always a nice, beautiful venue. People enjoy coming out here. Kids can play at the park and make a day of it.”
Christiansen stressed the importance of Mental Health America’s partnership with Healthy Communities to help provide additional mental health resources in the community, and she continued to stress the available and ease of access for community members to receive help and guidance from a certified professional by calling or texting 988, which is a resource that is available every hour of every day.
Archibald also extended a statement of gratitude toward the Buck Up Foundation, which acts as a recurring and annual sponsor and partner for the event.
