Walkers raise awareness on mental illness

Hundreds took to Hugh MacRae Park in Saturday's heat to raise awareness on mental illness. The National Alliance on Mental Illness held its Seventh Annual Walk for Awareness Saturday. NAMI's mission is to provide support and education to local families affected by mental illness. This year's event featured door prizes, food, and a silent auction. Organizers said for mental illness to be more understood, people can't be afraid to talk about it. “You know, the stigma has always been so great about mental illness. It is something people don't want to talk about, and that's wrong,” said NAMI board member Amy Brock. “We want it to be out in the open, it's an illness like diabetes or heart disease or anything else. Unless we educate people, unless they talk about it, it's not going to change.” NAMI currently provides peer-to-peer, family-to-family counseling, and crisis intervention training to help teach those who deal with mental illness on a regular basis across the Cape Fear region.