It has become a spring tradition in La Crosse — a mile-long walk through downtown by dozens of people, many wearing special green t-shirts.
Those walkers were out Thursday as part of a yearly mental health awareness celebration, which included a resource fair and a ceremony at the county health building.
La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey remarked at the ceremony that many people, especially men, have to do a better job of caring about mental health.
County supervisor Dillon Mader, who chairs the county health and human services committee, called on people to appreciate nature, like the feel of the sun and the breeze.
That was part of the overall theme of “be here, unplug, connect, and thrive.”
Another featured speaker at the county ceremony was Kathleen Jensen of Onalaska, who was honored last year with a Shining Star award for her work on suicide prevention.
This year’s Shining Star award goes to Sam Mahr, who’s a mental health therapist, also involved in health awareness programs.