A walk for the mind and spirit, 2011

Family and friends,

I am writing you today to tell you about an upcoming event that I am participating in that is both very important and very exciting to me.  It is NAMIWalks for the Mind of America, NAMI’s signature 5k event that is being held in San Diego, CA at Balboa Park next weekend, on April 16, 2011.

This will be my second year participating in this event and I'm very much looking forward to it. The spirit of last year's walk was one of hope and positivity. Again this year, I will be running with my head up; proud to know that every step helps to further research for treatment for those suffering any one or combination of the many forms of mental illness. More specifically and personally, I'll be walking with the hope that it helps get us closer to finding the cause and hopefully one day a cure for dementia and Alzheimer's - an illness that has affected my family very closely, through my Grandma Anne and her sister, Laura. We are still praying for these beautiful women to fight their way back to us, but in the meantime, we participate in events like this one to help fund the research that will facilitate that fight.

I would like to ask you to come and walk with me or to donate to support my participation in this great event. Visit my personal page to sign up: http://www.nami.org/namiwalks11/SDC/gitpick.  There is also a link so you can donate directly to me online. Donating online is fast and secure, and I'll get immediate notification via e-mail of your donation.

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the largest education, support and advocacy organization that serves the needs of all those whose lives are touched by these illnesses. This includes persons with mental illness, their families, friends, employers, the law enforcement community and policy makers.  The NAMI organization is composed of approximately 1100 local affiliates, 50 state offices and a national office.

NAMI is a 501(c)3 charity and any donation you make to support my participation in this event is tax deductible.  NAMI has been rated by Worth magazine as among the top 100 charities "most likely to save the world" and has been given an "A" rating by The American Institute of Philanthropy for efficient and effective use of charitable dollars.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Love, grace and peace,

Gwen

ps

Please feel free to pass this on to your friends and family. Thank you.

For more information about the National Alliance on Mental Illness, please visit: www.nami.org