Pelham Teens Walked In Support Of Mental Health Awareness. . . And Walked And Walked. . .

The Pelham Together Youth Council wanted to do something impactful to raise awareness and break the stigma around mental health. They designed an event to do just that, while also raising funds for PT Counseling, specifically to ensure any young person who needs help can receive it regardless of their ability to pay. Located on Ingalls Field, the organizers encouraged teens to create teams to walk the perimeter of the field all night long in recognition of the fact that mental health never sleeps. 

Throughout the event, which ran 8:20pm - 1am, there were reflection stations, such as glitter jars, coloring books, journaling, and more, where participants could explore various mindfulness techniques and be creative either with friends or individually. They created tea-light bags decorated with positive mantras, and used them to line the walking path. Four Corners Pizza provided late-night pizza; people played their guitars in small groups, as well as card and board games. Before the evening ended, they screened Inside Out (1).

Many of the organizers are juniors at PMHS and are already talking about how to turn this event into an annual Pelham tradition. We love their enthusiasm and their commitment to the mental health of their peers. Thank you to the High School and District staff who helped make this happen, and the parent chaperones!