Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

A few months ago, Mayor Jim Gill invited stakeholders to hear from organizers of the Shell mental health fair not knowing where it might lead.

What it has led to is several interested persons, organizations and businesses working together for Washakie County’s own mental wellness fair this Saturday.

The Mental Fitness Fair starts at 10 a.m. at the Worland Community Center. Committee chair Kendra Ware told the council March 5, “We all are just community members that want to help make a change. We want to be able to help end the stigma of mental health.”

This is not one business or organization trying to promote itself or its services. This event is from like-minded community members who know that Washakie County and Big Horn Basin residents struggle with mental health and struggle with talking about mental health.

This event is to help open up that dialogue.

Our communities have been touched by suicides and attempted suicides and the presentations are designed to help us help ourselves and help others.

You do not have to stay for the entire fair. You can come and go as you feel led. All presentations are 10 to 15 minutes long.

Ware added that the fair is not just about mental health, but also physical health. There will be meditation and yoga presentations and vendors from gyms and nutritionists.

Ware also told the council that the goal is for people to “learn how to help our neighbors. Suicide is an epidemic in Wyoming, we have the largest suicide rate of anybody in the country. Through my work, I see a lot of that. And recently I’ve seen a lot of that and I want something to change. This is something that I’m passionate about. I watch our kids go through things that we never had to go through. Come and learn different tools that we can do to help. It’s OK to go to therapy. It’s OK to talk to somebody. And Wyoming has such a stigma that if you go to therapy, there’s something wrong with you. If you take medication, there’s something wrong with you. And that’s our goal is that we can change that outlook for people.”

“So please come,” she added.

I know Saturday is a busy time in Worland with several events scheduled, but I also know this fair is important, mental health is important and I urge everyone to take some time and attend. If not for your sake, for the sake of someone you know.

A full schedule is in the story on A2.