In observance of Mental Illness Awareness Week, NAMI Wood County hosted their annual AfterBurn event on Friday, Oct. 2 at the Wood County Fairgrounds.
Each year, the free family-friendly event serves as the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year, with proceeds benefitting the free support groups, classes, presentations, and trainings that NAMI Wood County offers to community members in the county.
This year’s event welcomed approximately 200 participants and raised over $7,000 in monetary and in-kind donations, making it the largest fall fundraiser to date for the organization.
Sponsors for AfterBurn included Costco, Arrowhead Behavioral Health, Kress & Company, Thrivent Financial, Meijer in Bowling Green, Wood County Hospital, Unison Health, and Fruth and Company.
Agencies that participated in the Trunk or Treat and led activity tables at AfterBurn included Wood County Addiction Response Collaborative (ARC), Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board, Bowling Green State University Police Department, The Cocoon, Children’s Resource Center, Wood County Educational Service Center, Harbor, and Perrysburg Township Police Department. The “Fan Favorite” Trunk or Treat booth this year was the Wood County Educational Service Center.
Golden Spoon winners of the Chili Cook-off were Jessica Hartman and Bree Snow. The People’s Choice award went to Bree Snow.
Judges for the Chili Cook-off included Wood County Sheriff Deputies Tonya Lachey and Donald Dutridge and Marriah Kornowa of NAMI Greater Toledo.
The event ended with a moment of silence for individuals who have lost their lives due to their mental illness and/or suicide as well as a moving performance from Staci Taper, NAMI Wood County volunteer and Connection Center member of sign singing “This is Me!” by Keala Settle.
NAMI Wood County appreciated all the volunteers who assisted before and during the event including board members, community members and Bowling Green State University students.
