On May 1st, to kick off Mental Health Acceptance month, Our Minds Matter (OMM) partnered with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to host the first annual Move for Mental Health community event.
OMM Executive Director, Lauren Anderson and FCPS Mental Wellness Specialist, Bethany Demers opened the event by sharing how OMM and FCPS have been partners in supporting Fairfax County students’ mental health & wellbeing for the last 10 years. They expressed deep gratitude to event attendees for uniting to prioritize their own mental health, supporting teen mental health, and ultimately helping prevent suicide.
The physical benefits of dance are innumerable, but dancing can also have a positive impact on mental health such as reducing anxiety or depression. To get our bodies moving, Legacy Dance Institute leads everyone in a quick warm-up to get ready for the day before showcasing their amazing talents. Their performances were inspiring and helped set the stage for a meaningful day!
Next up, is the fun route. Participants were able to bike, walk or run the 0.7 nature loop to get active and take in the scenery!
Self-care doesn’t look the same for everyone so community members could also choose from a variety of self-care stations to participate in, from mindfulness to participating in a yoga lesson, writing affirming poems, and even playing with therapy dogs! These stations empowered participants to take care of their minds, and bodies, and move in a way that worked for them.
During the entirety of the event teens, parents, guardians, and community members could visit tables and learn more about mental health resources available in Fairfax County by talking with representatives from FCPS Pride, FCPS Psychology Services, Healthy Minds Fairfax, Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, and PRS CrisisLink.
Who doesn’t love good prizes? The event closed out with some raffle prizes including a custom wellness Hollister t-shirt, Kendra Scott jewelry, and gift cards to Warby Parker. Plus all participants got to take home a goodie bag with some Our Minds Matter swag and mental health resources.
Witnessing the community come together to take action for their mental health was a day we won’t forget.
Thank you to everyone who supported and attended the event. We are so happy that you could join us to show us how you truly move for mental health!
Photos By: Mackenzie River Roy
Sponsors
- Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board
- Healthy Minds Fairfax
- Social4Good
- Embark Behavioral Health
- Wegmans
In-Kind Donations
Special Thanks