Wellness Walk and Presentation on Mental Illness on the Calendar
ThedaCare is supporting two different but important health and wellness events in September in Waupaca.
The Waupaca Fall ‘O Rama will be on Sat., Sept. 20, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at South Park. It will include a petting zoo, music, health demonstrations, arts and crafts and the 3rd Annual Walk for Wellness, a non-competitive walking event which includes 1 mile, 5K or 10K routes.
Proceeds from the registration will go to the Community Foundation Fund, which will use the money for future maintenance and development of the River Ridge Trail system. “We want to continue to promote healthy activities, like walking, which can be enjoyed by the entire family,” said Kaye Thompson, ThedaCare community health coordinator. “This event also supports the efforts to continue maintaining and developing the River Ridge Trail in and around Waupaca.”
The 10K walk begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Lower South Park and the 5K begins at 9:30 a.m. Pre-registration is encouraged. Race day registration begins at 8 a.m. For contact information or for a printable registration form, visit www.walkforwellness.com/pages/info/html. Also find information by contacting Waupaca Chiropractic Center at (715) 258-8211 or Waupaca Park & Recreation Center at (715) 258-4435. E-mail questions to waupacawalkforwellness@gmail.com.
On Mon., Sept. 22, Kevin Hines will present a program called “Living Mentally Well” beginning at 6 p.m. at Waupaca High School. He will share how to live mentally well and prevent suicides. In 2000, Hines attempted suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and survived. He is one of 33 to have survived the jump off the famous landmark. “Depression and mental illness are topics that need to be brought out into the open, not hidden away, making the victims feel ashamed, lost and alone about what they are going through,” said Thompson.
The presentation, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Waupaca County Suicide Prevention Coalition, an organization, which since 2011, is dedicated to educating area communities and preventing suicide. The Victor and Christine Anthony Foundation provided funds for the cost of the presentation. Donations are being accepted to cover the cost of the program and future events. To financially support the coalition, contact Trinity Lutheran Church at (715) 258-7688.
ThedaCare™ is a community health system consisting of seven hospitals: Appleton Medical Center, Theda Clark Medical Center, ThedaCare Medical Center-New London, Shawano Medical Center, and Riverside Medical Center in Waupaca. Community Health Network, which includes Community Memorial Hospital in Berlin, and Wild Rose Memorial Hospital are in the process of affiliating with ThedaCare. ThedaCare also includes ThedaCare Physicians, ThedaCare Behavioral Health, and ThedaCare At Home. ThedaCare is one of the largest employers in Northeast Wisconsin with more than 6,175 employees. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. For more information, media may contact Megan Wilcox, APR, (megan.wilcox@thedacare.org), public relations and corporate specialist for ThedaCare, at (920) 830-5847.
