NAMI SF Bay Area Affiliates Walk to Raise Funds May 21st Amid $587M State Mental Health Budget Cuts

April 20, 2011 - PRLog -- MEDIA ADVISORY

WHO:  
The annual 5K NAMIWalk in Golden Gate Park directly benefits seven San Francisco Bay Area NAMI affiliates in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Solano counties who work together to create this  important annual event during May - National Mental Health Month. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. Thousands of volunteers, families, corporate employees, community groups, people living with mental illness and NAMI staff from the Bay Area will participate and join walkers in over 80 communities across the nation. Established in 1949, National Health Month has been observed for over 60 years. Last May, the NAMIWalk SF Bay Area raised over $344,000.

WHAT:    
7th Annual NAMIWalk Fundraiser - 5K (3 miles) & 1.5K walk routes.
Pre-Register at  www.namiwalksfbay.org.  Registration for walkers is FREE, thanks to sponsor donations.

WHEN:  
Saturday, May 21, 2011 -  9:00 AM (Registration & Check-in); 11:00 AM (Walk begins)
                 
WHERE:
Lindley Meadow, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California.
[NEW location next to Speedway Meadow site of last year's walk.]

WHY:    
The annual NAMIWalk SF Bay Area raises funds to support free Bay
Area mental health programsand helps educate the public to remove the stigma associated with mental illness. The 2011 fundraiser is more important than ever. In an effort to address budget shortfalls, two-thirds of States have cut a total of $1.8 billion in mental health spending since 2009. The State of California alone has cut more than $587 million in spending on mental health services, the largest cut among states across the U.S.  Proceeds from the walk will be used locally to underwrite and support much-needed Bay Area mental health programs provided by NAMI as a free public service. Programs include: Family to Family, a multi-week support and education course for family members of people with mental illness; In Our Own Voice, an anti-stigma speaker's bureau; Parents and Teachers as Allies, an in-service program helping school professionals better understand the early warning signs of mental illnesses in children; and partnerships with multi-cultural agencies reaching out with classes and education materials in Spanish and Chinese. NAMI supports veterans and active duty personnel through its national Veteran's Resource Center and locally with family support groups specifically for family members of service personnel dealing with mental health issues. NAMI also advocates politically for improved public policies addressing the needs of the mentally ill and their families.  

For more information or to register,  go to www.namiwalkSFbay.org,.or call Laurie Williams at 800-556-2401.

MEDIA CONTACT:: Gina Snow at 415-563-5333.