Greetings Metro Library!
I hope this is okay to post.
On Saturday, May 20, at 7:30 am (actually 8:30 but there is a butterfly release beforehand) I will be walking to raise funds for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI.
I am doing this in memory of my son, Bevin Coker, who passed away at age 21 in 2019. Bevin, who was a gifted musician and artist, had Tourette Syndrome - which is a neurological disorder, not a mental illness - but TS comes with comorbid (co-occurring) conditions such as anxiety, depression, and OCD. The awareness, education, and work to erase stigma that NAMI promotes means a lot to me. Bevin walked a lot and I have taken up walking since he died. (He also mentioned being reincarnated as a butterfly, but I'm digressing!)
So this walk seems perfect for me to promote something really positive in his memory.
It would mean a lot to me if I could raise some sponsorship in his name or if you would like to join Team Bevin and walk with me (you don't have to actually walk WITH me, just join the team and walk anywhere on the route at your own pace.)
If you are interested in contributing to NAMI, my walking page is
https://www.namiwalks.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donordrive.participant&participantID=452635
And to join or donate directly to Team Bevin
https://www.namiwalks.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.team&teamID=56761
Thank you!
(If these types of posts are okay, after the NAMI walk I will post about the Heart Walk on June 3! Also during this month is the "31 Miles for Mom" challenge for the American Heart Association. The only link I have for that is mine but you can look it up for your own; I encourage everyone to have one for themselves and their best-loved mother figures! https://www.facebook.com/donate/907640273795090/907640283795089/