Community Mental Health rally held at Sunday Lake

By IAN MINIELLY iminielly@yourdailyglobe.com WAKEFIELD — Community Mental Health in Wakefield held its sixth annual Walk a Mile in My Shoes Rally Wednesday. The rally was at the Sunday Lake Pavilion the first three years, but with the inconsistency of the local weather, organizers decided a new venue was necessary and VFW Post 9084 in Wakefield was generous enough to allow the event in its quarters, said Angela Pope, of CMH. The rally focused on: —Educating legislators why mental health matters. —Ending mental illness and intellectual developmental disabilities stigmas. —Educating other folks about the necessity for parity in spending for mental health with physical health care. —Promoting mental health wellness. Pope said many local students were instrumental in arranging the building and preparing for visitors and guests. The Bessemer Peer to Peer students and WakefieldMarenisco Honors Society, in conjunction with CMH staff, decorated the VFW and prepared the location to host around 200 people. Students from Luther L. Wright and Bluff View Christian also had a hand in making the event a success, said Pope. The walls of the VFW were adorned with this year’s crop of freshly drawn placemats by area students. Community Mental Health selects one winner from the hand-drawn placemats to adorn the next year’s giveaway. After a symbolic walk to the gas station and back, guests were treated to a light lunch.