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2006 Walk
3rd Annual NAMI Walks for the Mind of America

Date: Saturday, September 16th, 2006
Location: State Capitol, Harrisburg, PA
Distance: 3 K

Our team BUCKS FOR BRAINS participated in this walk. 

3rd ANNUAL NAMI WALKS – 2006 – By Marge Green

The weather started out rainy and gloomy on September 16th. We were all praying the rain would stop by the time we got to Harrisburg. Don’t you know, as soon as we reached the toll booth exit for Harrisburg, the rain had stopped and the sun started to come out!

Magellan Behavioral Health, Inc. once again so generously provided a 49-seat bus for Walkers from Bucks County. We just about filled the bus, too. There were folks from Magellan, Project Transition, NAMI Bucks County, and friends. 

Hundreds from around Pennsylvania joined us on the Walk. For me, one of the best parts of the Walk was the presence of several “therapy pets” -- Timmy (a service dog), Buddy and Shorty (mini-horses), and Honey Bun (a therapy burrow). Yes, they walked right along with us and it was delightful. There were also two beautiful hand-made quilts raffled off. Both had Iris motifs -- one of NAMI’s signature symbols. Boy did I want one of those quilts! I kept thinking, “If I win, I’ll wrap myself up in the quilt and feel like my Mom’s arms are around me” – she had schizophrenia and eventually died of Hodgkin’s disease at the age of 59. I was a young teenager when her symptoms really started to manifest and it was very difficult. But I didn’t win – so maybe next year!

NAMI Bucks County along with Project Transition and friends raised $1,560. At Walk time, Magellan raised $2,907, with pledges still to be submitted. A grand total of $4,467 was raised, not including the yet to be submitted pledges. A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED AND MADE DONATIONS! Special thanks to Susan Mosely, Lisa Green and Michael Louis Reid for helping me “work” the bus, distributing drinks and snacks and doing head-counts. I’d like to encourage everyone to participate in NAMI Walks 2007. Every year it gets better and better. So how about it?   Can we count on you next year? 

• The NAMIWalks for the Mind of America is a nationwide fundraising and mental health awareness program that will be held in 60 communities around the country in 2006, including Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is expected that these Walks will raise well over 4 million dollars for NAMI and the mental health services it provides to thousands of families here in Pennsylvania and across the country.

• All the proceeds from the Walk are used to fund NAMI’s programs. These programs include support, education, research and advocacy involving schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (manic depression), major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and severe anxiety disorders.

• All Walkers receive a NAMIWalks for the Mind of America event T-shirt.

• Companies, organizations and families are encouraged to organize teams of Walkers made up of employees, organization members, relatives and friends to take part in the Walk. All participating teams will be recognized with special awards based on the amount that they raise for the Walk.

• NAMIWalks for the Mind of America is a rain or shine event.

2nd Annual NAMI Walks for the Mind of America
Saturday, Sept. 24, 2005 – Harrisburg, PA
NAMI Walks Harrisburg 2005