By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Big and little dinosaurs, princesses and ghouls picked up sweet treats and participated in NAMI Wood County’s AfterBurn 2024 event Friday evening at the Wood County Fairgrounds.
Outwardly, the event is an annual family-friendly event that includes a trunk or treat, crafts and activities, and a chili cook-off. Behind the masks and the costumes though is a serious conversation about mental health awareness.
“It’s a fun event where we can come together and talk about some of these more serious mental health topics in a lighthearted way,” said Jessica Hartman, executive director of NAMI Wood County.
The event is held each year on the first Friday of the month, in advance of Mental Health Awareness Week, which is Oct. 6-12 this year. The national NAMI office oversees the awareness week each year.
Nearly a dozen local mental health providers and other community organizations opened trunks of cars, vans and vehicles to hand out candy and information about their services.
Wood County Educational Service Center was one of the local providers that participated. Their Halloween message was “Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus,” urging youth to not let vapes, drugs or alcohol “put a spell on you.”
A cow theme by the Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services, together with the Wood County Suicide Prevention Coalition, gave out “moo-valous” Cow Tails and shared information about the mental health levy on the November ballot.
Sophie Fisher from the Wood County Humane Society said the organization has joined in the festivities for several years in support of the cause and because they “love to be out in the community” sharing about the animals they care for and promoting the adoption of rescue cats and dogs.
“We’re here to give back to the community,” said Zachary Stockham, an intern at Ohio Guidestone, one of the local agencies that is funded in part through the WCADAMHS Board. In addition to buckets-full of candy, he had flyers about the range of mental health services available to county residents.
Inside the Junior Fair Building, tables were set up with an assortment of activities and crafts, most of which were “therapeutic in nature,” Hartman said.
They had sensory bottles, “spook-away-the-stigma ghosts” and pennants that could be created “in memory of someone who has lost their life to mental illness, to honor someone living with mental health conditions, or something motivational or inspirational,” she said.
From decorating mini pumpkins and putting sparkles in a sensory bottle, Jeremy Brose was actively engaged in the activities with his daughters Jocelyn and Mila. “This is a good event for the kids, and it supports a good cause,” he said.
Stephanie Rine brought her two-year-old granddaughter Elliott Hart to trick or treat and check out the activities. Rine, who is employed at Children’s Resource Center, another WCADAMHS-supported agency in the county, said the event is a fun way to share about the exceptional mental health services available in Wood County.
With more than a dozen sponsors this year, plus proceeds from the chili cook-of and sales of NAMI/AfterBurn merchandise, the event is NAMI Wood County’s biggest fundraiser of the year, Hartman said.
The chili cook-off has been a part of the event since 2016 and always utilizes “celebrity” judges to taste and rate the chili recipes for best texture, best color, most unique, best flavor and best aroma. The top awards include the People’s Choice and Golden Spoon Awards.
This year’s judges Lt. Shad Kitchen, Bowling Green Fire Division; Chief Michael Campbell, Bowling Green State University Police; and Lt. Jamison Martinez, Wood County Sheriff’s Department, were selected for the taste-testing job because of the relationship first responders have with NAMI and the other mental health agencies in the county.
The judges filled out the rubric for the eight chili recipes in the competition. As they wrapped up their judging, they were tight-lipped about favorites, but described at least one of the samples as “unique.”
Hartman said the monies raised from the chili (and pulled pork) meal supports their First Responders programming fund.
“This year’s turnout is great so far,” she said. “Everything at the event has a little nugget of mental health awareness.”
Educating the community about the services they provide for persons with mental health conditions is the main purpose. One in five people are living with the signs and symptoms of a mental health condition, Hartman said.
“We bring together the people and organizations that are providing mental health services, so the public knows the resources that are available and to help them understand there is no benefit to talk negatively about someone living with mental health conditions,” she said.
