Advocates Pursue “Mental Health for All” at Community Walk

DAVENPORT, IOWA (August 17, 2023) — As the American public increasingly understands the critical nature of accessible, affordable mental health-care, so do the demands on NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, known locally as NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley.

To support its free educational programs, power its advocacy efforts and strengthen outreach to the Quad-City region, NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley presents its largest annual fundraising event and the Quad Cities’ biggest mental health advocacy and awareness event, NAMIWalks Greater Mississippi Valley, on Saturday, Sept. 16 at the Bend XPO amphitheater, 922 Mississippi Parkway, East Moline, Illinois. This year’s event is the 20th annual NAMIWalks in the Quad Cities.

With one in five people experiencing mental illness at any given time, NAMIWalks Greater Mississippi Valley is expected to attract hundreds of residents across the Quad-City region to celebrate mental-health recovery, to let community members know they are not alone and to honor the memory of loved ones lost to suicide.  

“This is a new, uncharted time for mental health-care. We must recognize the significant impact that current events are placing on our mental wellness,” said NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley Executive Director Angela Gallagher. “Our friends, family and neighbors can afford nothing less than Mental Health for All. NAMIWalks is a force because we have to be.”

To join NAMIWalks, visit namiwalks.org/greatermississippivalley. There is no registration fee, but fundraising is encouraged. Participants raising at least $100 receive an event T-shirt. One-hundred percent of funds raised stay local, supporting NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley’s free mental-health programs, resources, and services to people in the Quad-City region.

Major sponsors for this year’s walk include: Malik and K Khaliq and Family (Presenting); KWQC-TV (Media); Double Good Virtual Fundraising (Premier); Advance Homes Inc (Gold); Genesis Health System (Gold); Lundbeck (Gold); Sears Seating (Gold); SSAB (Gold); UnitedHealthcare (Gold); UnityPoint Health — Robert Young Center (Gold); and UnityPoint Health — Trinity (Gold).

NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley is an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental-health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI Greater Mississippi Valley serves residents of Scott, Clinton, Muscatine, Jackson, and Cedar counties in eastern Iowa and Rock Island, Henry, and Mercer counties in western Illinois. More information can be found at namigmv.org. NAMIWalks sign-up and online walk donations can be made at namiwalks.org/greatermississippivalley.