Mental Fitness Fair this weekend

This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Worland Community Center, the community is invited to a free event focusing on mental and physical wellness and forming healthy habits and relationships.

By hosting these awareness events, Big Horn Basin communities are aiming to destigmatize talking about mental health-related topics. According to a previous Northern Wyoming News article, Shell was the first community in the Basin to host a similar event in 2023, and organizers have been spreading the message of their event’s success.

At the Worland event, businesses and groups related to improving mental and physical health will provide attendees with resources. Vendors include Cloud Peak Counseling, Washakie County School District No. 1 school counselors, Washakie Prevention Coalition and many more.

Throughout the day, speakers from the community will discuss a variety of topics as well, hoping to inform the community about mental health. Topics include anxiety and ADHD, mental health/bi-polar, signs of suicide, as well as a yoga demonstration and meditation class.

Event organizer Kendra Ware in a previous interview said, “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; that people will leave our fair, with the knowledge of how to help the people around them.”

Along with speakers will be a panel discussion and question-and-answer session. The panel members are – Dr. Ralph Lewis from Oxbow Counseling, Janae Harmon from Family Circle Counseling, Mary Johnson from Cloud Peak Counseling and Carol Bell from Foundations Counseling LLC. According to Ware, panel members will go over frequently asked questions about mental illness.

“The biggest thing I would like to get across to people is please come and listen. Help get the education so you can help others. This is not an event to just get help for yourself. It’s a community effort to be a pick up man for the people around us,” said Ware.

Mayor Jim Gill noted in the March 5 council meeting, “The awesome thing about this is that it’s from the ground up. This isn’t organized by the city or by the county. It’s going to be wonderful. Everybody has stress in their life. We have wonderful resources but a lot of people aren’t aware of them. This is going to help address a lot of issues.

The event will have door prizes and a free lunch sponsored by Range. Ware also noted that PBS will have videographers there to film parts of the fair for their new documentary, “A State of Mind.”

Event schedule:

10:00 a.m. Welcome from Mayor Jim Gill

10:10 “Recovery” Megan Lathrop

10:20 “Suicide” Dusty Hoopes

10:30 TRE by Angela Smart-Finn (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises)

15 Minute Break- Meet the Vendors

11:00 Panel Discussion

11:45 Brad Cline Veterans Disability Benefits

Lunch - Sponsored by RANGE

12:45 p.m. Panel Answers from Audience Questions (oral or people can submit written questions).

1:45 Yoga Demonstration Kaitlin Stone

2:00 “Panic Attacks” Melissa Cook

2:10 “Mental Health/Bi-Polar” Destiny Gutierrez

2:20 “Anxiety and ADHD” Kim Elliott

2:30 “Meditation Class” Janae Harman

2:45 “Looking for Signs of Suicide” Lila Jolley