Color Run promotes mental health awareness

ZANESVILLE, OH- On a rainy Saturday morning members of the community came together to enjoy a Color Run at the Ohio University Zanesville Collegial Trail.

The event, hosted by Drug Free Muskingum in collaboration with various mental and behavioral health agencies in the area, was designed to promote awareness, education, and prevention regarding substance abuse and mental health.

“For me it’s important because we really want to draw attention to the struggles of mental health and mental illness, and we want to break down the stigma. We want people to recognize that people recover, and they recover well and so we wanna make sure that as a community we’re putting that message out there and that we’re supporting those individuals,” said Jamie McGrew  care management director at the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board.

Unlike traditional races, this Color Run was not about speed or competition. It was a celebration of diversity and inclusivity. The organizers emphasized that the event was about fostering a sense of togetherness and camaraderie, while also raising funds for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Six County chapter.

“It’s family, we geared it towards family, so it’s run, walk or waddle, right, we didn’t wanna leave anybody out, so we have pets and strollers and the whole nine so yeah,” said Monica Batteiger, Co-founder of Drug Free Muskingum and Family Health Advocate.

Over 300 individuals ready to be blasted by colors pre-registered for the 2023 Color Run. Drug Free Muskingum has plans to host another Color Run next year at a similar time and encourages everyone in the community to come out and support a good cause.