Bringing the 'pick up man' movement to Worland

Inspired by Cheyenne Frontier Day’s Pick Up Man movement, mental health awareness events have made their way to the Big Horn Basin, including Worland. Hoping to spread the message and end the stigma of talking about mental health, a team of Worland residents are putting together a mental fitness fair.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 16 at the Worland Community Center and will include a free lunch sponsored by Range.

Event organizer Kendra Ware said the fair will serve as an opportunity for people to learn about therapy, forms of self-help and generally connect with their community.

Ware said, “My hope for this fair is to help everyone in our community realize that they can be that pick up man for someone in need. If we all watch out for one another, take a few extra minutes in our day to say hello to a stranger in the grocery store, or to stop by a neighbor’s house just to let them know they were on your mind, you could save a life. We have a great program lined up, filled with information that could save a life.”

A significant part of the event will be speakers who will touch on a variety of topics throughout the day, including a panel discussion and Q&A session featuring Dr. Ralph Lewis, Janae Harmon, Mary Johnson and Carol Bell from surrounding counseling organizations. Other speaker topics will include meditation, how to deal with stress, recovery and more.

Ware noted that Cloud Peak Counseling will be bringing a team that will provide counseling on site, for those who need to talk to someone.

In addition to speakers, the fair will also feature vendors and organizations that support mental health awareness and wellbeing, including The Lighthouse, Children’s Resource Center and Reach for Recovery.

Ware said they are hoping to invite more organizations to the event. “We are looking for vendors who deal with mental/physical and emotional health. If you feel like that is something your business aligns with, we would love to have a few more options for the community,” she said.

Ware said the fair is also hoping that businesses in the community can create incentives to encourage employees to attend the event. Ware’s incentive examples include 30-60 minutes of paid time off, long lunch breaks, discounts on gift cards.

“My hope is that we will fill the community center with Worland and Ten Sleep residents who are willing to learn about a topic that has always had a stigma attached to it,” said Ware. “If every person that comes to this fair, leaves, and tells five more people about what they learned, we could start a movement. We could help end the stigma of mental health and change the conversation so that our children can grow up in a world where it’s OK to ask for help. It’s OK to say you’re not OK. It’s OK to not be OK.”

“When we realize that we are not alone and that everyone deals with these feelings at one time or another, we can help people find a way out,” she said.