The Butterfly Run, presented by Big Lots, is a community fitness event to grow awareness, break stigmas, and raise funds for lifesaving pediatric behavioral health research at Nationwide Children's Hospital. More than just another 5K run and walk, The Butterfly Run, is an event for anyone around the country to come together to advocate and improve outcomes for children living with mental illness.
In some way, mental illness touches everyone. You may have a family member, friend or child who is living with a mental illness. For children, especially, the statistics are sobering.
One in five children is living with a mental illness, and 50 percent of all lifetime mental illnesses start by age 14.
I am participating in The Butterfly Run presented by Big Lots Foundation as part of the On Our Sleeves® Movement which is on a national mission to break the silence surrounding children’s mental health.
You can help by donating through my event page and I would really appreciate your support! Now, more than ever, the dollars we raise are critical. So many of us are experiencing challenges like we have never faced in our lifetime and, as you can imagine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital is no exception. Behavioral health needs do not take a day off because of COVID-19 and we can’t either.
My personal fundraising goal for this program is at least $500, if not more! Any contribution you can make is greatly appreciated and will make a difference in the lives of children and families worldwide. No amount is too small!
As for my personal reasons to participate in this fundraiser, it is for personal and professional reasons. First, I wish my brother would have had access to mental health services as a child and adolescent. He had significant mental health issues that were left untreated in to adulthood. He ended up completing suicide when he was 29 years old. Back then, it was not common for adolescents to receive treatment for mental health. As a result, it is one of the reasons I pursued a career in working with and advocating for children and adolescents dealing with mental health issues.
While attending graduate school at Villanova University, I worked at an agency that worked specifically with children and adolescents that were dealing with serious mental health issues. After graduating with a Master’s Degree in Secondary School Counseling, I secured a job at a high school and have worked there for the last eighteen years. It has been a rewarding career in so many ways. I have seen my students first hand overcome so many obstacles, but the need for increased mental health services for children and adolescents is more crucial than ever!
I am proud to be a part of the Butterfly Run and the On Our Sleeves Movement. I hope you will join me in my efforts to support life-saving pediatric research and care at Nationwide Children's Hospital. All donations are tax-deductible and will be acknowledged by Nationwide Children’s Foundation.
On behalf of the patients and families of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, thank you for your support!
Brandi
