LRHS Steps Against Mental Health Stigma
Courtesy of the LRHS Live Feed
Juniors and DECA members Craus, Kennedy, and Hess helped organize the Stigma Free Walkathon – a great event for the LRHS and the community.
Lakeland Regional High School’s DECA chapter held a “Steps Against Stigma” walkathon for mental health awareness on October 20, 2019. Despite the rain and wind, the walkathon was still held and the dedication of students and faculty members alike shined through.
Members and pups of the LRHS community came out to support the Stigma Free Walkathon.
The walkathon was organized by the school’s DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) advisor, Ms. Ornella Incardona, and several of the club’s members, namingly, juniors Bella Craus, Sam Hess, and Connor Kennedy.
Back in May of this year, Ms. Incardona attended a seminar on adult mental health and was “shocked at the statistics which were provided at the training.” According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, one in every five US adults struggle with mental illness, and every one in 6 adolescents (from ages 6-17) also experience some form of mental illness.
It was great to see so many come out for the walkathon despite the rainy weather.
Ms. Incardona stated that she wanted to bring more attention to mental illness in Lakeland, and thus, approached several of her students about ways to promote awareness. Since June, Ms. Incardona, Craus, Hess, and Kennedy diligently worked on planning the walkathon.
DECA members were out in force to help run the walkathon.
In recent years, Lakeland has worked to become more “Stigma-Free” with events such as guest speakers sharing their mental illness stories and spreading awareness on how to seek help if struggling. Ms. Incardona is one of many in the Lakeland community working to make our school a Stigma-Free zone, an effort set forth by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The walkathon was brought about to promote awareness and an environment where anyone struggling with mental illness can feel accepted.
The flyer sent to students, staff, and community members to promote the walkathon.
Ms. Incardona explained that kids may not always be comfortable sharing their issues with friends or family members because of the stigma associated with mental illness, but events like the walkathon were formed to make kids feel like they always have a place where they will not be judged.
“By destigmatizing mental illness we are allowing our students who may be experiencing a mental health issue the freedom to speak with someone without feeling ashamed.”
