11th annual Mental Health Walk in La Crosse
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – Multiple organizations in La Crosse are coming together to support people affected by mental illness. First News at Nine’s Dashal Mentzel shares how they’re doing so by putting one foot in front of the other.
Thursday (5/23/24) marked La Crosse County’s 11th Annual Mental Health Walk, which saw around 100 participants walk together to raise money and awareness. La Crosse County Social Work Supervisor Shelly Tollefson says, “We walk about a mile around the downtown area supporting May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month. And so, if people saw a lot of green walking around downtown, that was in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.”
Tollefson says the event helps reduce the stigma around mental illness in the community, “It’s really a helpful connection to anybody that’s been affected by mental health or is in recovery or has family members that are actively needing support. And it doesn’t matter if you’re race, culture, creed, lifestyle. It just helps really build the humanity in people, and it helps us to keep building each other up.”
Chelsey Myhrefoster works with the city of La Crosse Parks and Recreation and believes it’s important for everyone in the community to understand the impact of mental health, “We know that mental health affects everyone. It’s not just for folks who have formal diagnoses. We’re all impacted, whether it be in our own personal experiences through family members or through our community.”
After the walk, the organizations held a panel where members shared personal stories about mental health, “We really just want to illustrate how many ways there are that your personal journey can have a positive impact for others who are maybe looking for resources or who want to get involved with advocacy, or that action part, or just for awareness in general.”
The event hopes to help and show empathy to those who struggle with mental health, “We’re all seeing different ways that we can maybe impact in a positive way for folks who are experiencing challenges with their mental health or who are looking for ways to better support their mental wellness in general.”
In La Crosse, Dashal Mentzel First News at Nine.
One of the attendees of the walk was Mayor Mitch Reynolds, who declared May as Mental Health Awareness Month in La Crosse.
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