NAMIWalk steps off May 19

The 9th annual NAMIWalk, the chief fundraising event of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will be held at Bushnell Park in Hartford on Saturday, May 19.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in four Americans has a mental illness in any given year. NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization, dedicated to building better lives for Americans affected by mental illness. Locally, it hosts programs in Niantic, Waterford and Norwich.

The 5K walk starts at 10 a.m. with registration at 9 a.m. Family fun events will include face painting, hula hoop contests for kids, a live band and a breakdancing demonstration. Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra will speak.

All donations are tax deductible. To participate or for more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/namictwalk or www.namict.org or call (860) 882-0236 or (860) 882-0236.