Below is a letter I sent out to my friends and family, edited for the web. I have started training for the walk (yes, it’s only 3 miles but I’m out of shape). Plus, the walks in the morning REALLY tire out the little white monster fluffball. The park near us is almost exactly 1/3 mile. To get there and back is .3 as well. So the other day we did one lap, so we went .6 miles. Today we did TWO laps and we even ran for about 1/4 of the last lap. So we got up to almost a mile. We should be ready to go by the time the walk comes! (Sadie won’t be walking with me in the Walk, but she helps get me out of the house to walk since she needs the walk just as much as I do.)
Dear Friends and Family,
I am writing you today to tell you about an upcoming event that I am participating in that is both very important and very exciting to me. It is NAMIWalks for the Mind of America, NAMI’s signature walkathon event that is being held in Austin, TX at Auditorium Shores on October 4, 2008.
Some of you may already know that my mother and I will both be walking for this event. (She will be walking in Virginia and I in Texas) I chose to participate to support my mother who recently became more open about her struggles with bipolar disorder. This led to me seeking help as well and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and ADD, which has completely changed my life. By being able to accept the fact that I have this condition to live with I was able to take the steps I need to live better in both mental and physical health. It has helped me get back on track with my work and develop better relationships with my friends and family.
I would like to ask you to come and walk with me or to donate to support my participation in this great event. Visit my personal walker page to sign up: http://www.nami.org/namiwalks08/TEX/jessicagrady. There is also a link so you can donate directly to me online. Donating online is fast and secure, and I’ll get immediate notification via e-mail of your donation. [If you'd prefer to donate offline, please leave a comment and I will email you with instructions]
NAMI, the Nation’s Voice on Mental Illness, formerly the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, is the largest education, support and advocacy organization that serves the needs of all those whose lives are touched by these illnesses. This includes persons with mental illness, their families, friends, employers, the law enforcement community and policy makers. The NAMI organization is composed of approximately 1100 local affiliates, 50 state offices and a national office.
The goals of the NAMIWalks program are: to fight the stigma that surrounds mental illness, to build awareness of the fact that the mental health system in this country needs to be improved and to raise funds for NAMI so that they can continue their mission.
NAMI is a 501(c)3 charity and any donation you make to support my participation in this event is tax deductible. NAMI has been rated by Worth magazine as among the top 100 charities “most likely to save the world” and has been given an “A+” rating by The American Institute of Philanthropy for efficient and effective use of charitable dollars. NAMI has also been given 4 out of 4 stars by The Charity Navigator for short-term spending practices and long-term sustainability. For more information on NAMI please visit http://www.nami.org/
Thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
Jessica Grady