Thousands of people laced up their shoes at the Angus Barn on Sunday morning for the 35th annual Walk for Hope.
Van Eure, a Walk for Hope organiser and owner of the Angus Barn, said her family started the tradition 35 years ago.
Since then, the walk has raised millions of dollars for the treatment of mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, postpartum depression, schizophrenia and more.
100% of the money raised by participants goes directly to local mental illness research at the UNC Department of Psychiatry.
“There are a lot of people walking on behalf of people who are no longer with us because of suicide,” Eure said. “There are a lot of people who have family members who suffer from mental illness.”
Since the pandemic, one in three adults has been affected by mental illness. For Thomas Goodwin, who was taking part for the 28th time, it’s a reminder that people you don’t think are suffering could be.
“It’s a special thing in our family,” Goodwin said. “I don’t think there’s anyone in the world who hasn’t been affected by mental illness in some way.”
Eure said it will take more than money to end the stigma of mental illness.
“What it takes to get over the stigma is to be willing to talk about it,” Eure said. “To be willing to not be embarrassed to say, ‘Hey, I have depression.'”
The walk continues to inspire the next generation, including Katy Wright-Creech, who came to the walk with her high school.
“With more people recognising mental health, it’s really important that we’re aware of our own mental health,” she said.
Once everyone crossed the finish line, they celebrated with a family-friendly afternoon of food, games, music and prizes. United for the same cause and purpose.
“This day is so much fun, but it’s for such a serious cause,” Eure said. “It’s such a camaraderie because [for] every single person here, this means something too.”
