What is the event?

The event is a 5K run or walk to help support NAMI, which is the National Alliance for Mental Illness. By doing this, I want to help support people, teens, and kids. 

When & where is the event?

It’s going to be at 9:00 a.m. (on Aug. 30) at Eagle Creek Park.

How are you planning for the event?

We’re getting sponsorships to help fund the event and all that stuff, and we’re also getting people to help donate food for all the people going to the event. We had to contact people at Eagle Creek Park to be able to do this and go through all the paperwork. Right now, we are in the process of getting registrations and sponsorships.

Have you faced any challenges in the planning process yet?

Yes. The first challenge was deciding what the perfect place to have a 5K was, since there are many venues with different prices, it was hard to decide. But ultimately, we decided to go with Eagle Creek Park because it fit the budget and the layout of the trail was more appealing. The second challenge I faced was getting sponsors. If you’re going to ask someone for money, it’s not going to be easy since not many people are willing to give you funding unless you sell yourself for a good cause. And I think doing this has taught me how to be persuasive in certain situations. However, I’ve been able to get some people to help me during this whole process, which I’m grateful for.

What motivated you to plan this event?

In my experience as a high schooler, many of my peers say that high school is super stressful, I can relate to that with sophomore year since all my classes are ramping up and I expect the same for junior year after realizing that this is the kind of stress I’ll continue to face I started to consider all of the students that have to balance both this stress and other severe mental health issues. Keeping this in mind, I did some more research about mental health, which pushed me in the right direction to support this cause. 

What do you plan on achieving, and what kind of turnout are you expecting?

We would like a pretty large turnout. I’d say we are expecting about 100 to 200 people, which would be ideal. We also plan on achieving our goal of getting sponsorships to cover our costs for renting the park and everything needed for the event. Our main goal is to be able to donate some money to NAMI as well, in addition to breaking even. The goal right now is to get $20,000 in sponsorships. If we can hit that and get around 100 to 200 people to come, I think we will have a pretty successful event. And the more the merrier, so getting over 200 participants would be great!

How will this event affect you?

This event is going to have a positive effect for me since I am pretty passionate about this cause and being able to see where all this money is going to help fund programs for all those kids and teens who need assistance, will not only make me happy that i’ve been able to make a difference but I will also be grateful for that kind of help that we can give to other people. I believe this is going to motivate me to do these kinds of things in the future, especially if it turns out pretty successful. Even if it doesn’t, then again, I’m still going to try because I want to help these people as much as possible. 

In the future, do you think that you’ll want to hold other events similar to this?

We definitely will. Right now, I am working with the Hindu Temple of Central Indiana since they have held 5 Ks in the past. I am collaborating with them to set up the 5K for NAMI. Getting more funding would allow us to do this again. Hopefully, we can hold a bigger version with more food, amenities, etc.

What made you decide to hold a 5K?

I wanted to hold a 5K, because HTCI (the organization I am working with) has held many 5Ks in the past, and they have been pretty successful, so they wanted to do another for NAMI, and I believe that the street can go two ways. Since people go and register, they’re paying money. That money allows people to have fun and participate in physical activity. It also motivates people to go outside and have fun with their friends rather than having a normal donation drive where people simply give their money. I believe that if you want to raise money for a good cause, it can be really difficult to accomplish. With a 5K, people can get a benefit out of it, especially since it’s fitness-related, and that not only helps the kids who are receiving this money, but it also helps individuals become more active.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to organize something similar?

Planning is key. I’ve been planning this event for a while now because, again, all the paperwork that goes into this huge event takes a while. Along with getting sponsorships to make sure that paying for all the required materials is going to take a couple of months, you just have to make sure that you have a concrete plan. Defining your goals is very important. Ensure that you have a concrete plan set and know what actions you need to take. 

Where can someone register for the 5K? 

Individuals can register for the 5K via the Instagram bio @aplusmentalhealth by July 31st and can also donate money directly to NAMI using the link in bio. Individuals who participate will also receive a 5K shirt.

Registration: Registration Link

Donations: Donation link