19th annual Quinn Family Bash brought awareness to mental illness and addiction

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- A local family sang together for the 19th year to bring awareness to mental illness and addiction.

The 19th annual Quinn Family Bash featured a three-hour event full of singing, dancing, and giveaways. The concert filled the Zanesville-Muskingum County Welcome Center with over 200 people. Local President of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Paul Quinn said this yearly event helps celebrate progress.

“It’s important that we celebrate recovery so that people have hope for their own personal recovery. So, we get together collectively and there’s power in that group and the music and we can feel really good about ourselves,” said Quinn.

Quinn said the Bash has come a long way since it was started nearly 20 years ago. He said the first concert had just 25 people attend. He said this all started as a way to help his brother.

“I sat down with my father and youngest brother who has Schizophrenia and we were asking my brother what can we do to help the mentally ill. (Quinn’s brother said) ‘If you’re mentally ill you spend a lot of time isolated and if there’s some activity to get them out mingling and having fun that’s what you should do but, I don’t know what that is.’ My father said we sound great when we’re singing in the living room why don’t we put on a show,” said Quinn.

Quinn said this event is something the family looks forward to each year and is honored to bring awareness to mental illness through their love of music.