BY TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
Despite the dreary, wet weather, groups of walkers braved the rain to participate in the Fourth Annual Raise Your Voice Mental Health Awareness Walk held at the Merrill Area Recreation Complex (MARC) in Merrill on Sunday, April 28, 2024. A number of pets also came along for some exercise and attention. Interestingly, both exercise and pets have been known to help improve one’s mental health.
In addition to walking the outlined route, other activities added to the festivities for the day, most of which took place indoors due to the rain: yard games, a blow-up obstacle course, face painting, a coloring station, raffles, and walking tacos and walking desserts were all available. This year’s event emphasized a theme applicable to both walking and managing mental health challenges: “Don’t forget to look back and see how far you’ve come.”
The event was hosted by Merrill’s Raise Your Voice Club, a student-run organization at Merrill High School, and sponsored by Aspirus and the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Northwoods. Raise Your Voice Club exists to help raise awareness of mental health, advocate for change, share resources, and support others.
