Miles for Mental Health

Setting a goal to get in shape for the summer? Or just like to stay active and go hiking, bike riding or walking?

Do you want to do all that and raise awareness for mental health and support NAMI at the same time?

To provide individuals who want to engage in social networks in support of their fitness goals while raising awareness and funds for NAMI, NAMI has partnered with Geared for Good to launch a new fitness/fundraising campaign: Miles for Mental Health.

Just launched in recognition of May as Mental Health Month and continuing through mid-October, following Mental Illness Awareness Week, you can join this online community, get the word out, encourage your efforts and connect with your family and friends, giving them the opportunity to make an online donation to support your efforts on behalf of NAMI.

Many people affected by mental illness have told us that fundraising gives them a sense of empowerment. By fighting back to counter the ignorance and stereotypes that remain barriers for so many, you are also raising much needed awareness.
Join us in racking up fitness miles while fundraising to help us build better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Our goal: A collective 100,000 miles and $100,000. It's a long way to go, but we can do it, with your support!

Joining only takes a few moments, and there’s no obligation and no minimum fundraising amount. Any activity you do that can be measured or estimated in miles counts toward our goal. Walk, run, bike, swim, indoor cycle, dance, you name it—it’s your choice!

Joining is easy:

1. Go to the campaign website at GearedforGood.com/nami and Click the “Join Campaign” button.
2. Set your distance and fundraising goals—use your sports tracker to register progress or enter your information manually.
3. Use the tools available on the site, including email templates and pictures and badges, to invite your friends and family to donate in support of NAMI and your efforts.

And off you go! If you use a GPS sports tracker while your exercise (e.g., Garmin, RunKeeper), you can easily import your data with the click of a button.

Join individually, start or join a team, and invite others to participate alongside you from anywhere in the world. And, as an option, you can use your Facebook and Twitter feeds to automatically promote your progress to your social media network, gain encouragement from your friends and make fundraising easy.

We are proud to announce that a portion of all proceeds will be allocated to fund on-the-ground, innovative grassroots awareness activities through a mini-grant partnership with NAMI State Organizations.  And as an added bonus, NAMI will feature the top 5 fundraisers in the NAMI Advocate magazine and/or NAMINow, our monthly digital publication.

So what are you waiting for!?  Please join us or donate to Miles for Mental Health today! Have questions or need more information on NAMI, Geared for Good, or the Miles for Mental Health Campaign? Email us at [email protected].