NAMI Sarasota County, an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is gearing up for the first annual Out of the Blue, Sarasota’s largest fundraiser for mental health, on Thursday, October 25 from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. at Sarasota Architectural Salvage, 1093 Central Avenue, Sarasota. Tickets are now on sale at namioutoftheblue2018.eventbrite.com or by calling NAMI at 941-376-9361. The evening of fundraising will feature live music by Rallo Pucci, food by Simply Gourmet, and drinks to support and expand the programs offered by NAMI. Dress code is casual and free valet parking is available.
One in five people in the United States will live with a mental illness during their lifetime. Families and friends are often severely impacted by the diagnosis of a loved one too. Approximately 60,000 people are directly affected by mental health concerns in Sarasota County. The need for education, support and awareness is great and that is why NAMI Sarasota County is coming out of the blue again!
The success of last year’s inaugural Out of the Blue fundraiser enabled NAMI to expand its programming including a new program, Ending the Silence, that will go into the middle and high schools beginning the fall of 2018. “We are excited about the opportunity to offer Ending the Silence in the Sarasota Schools this fall,” said executive director, Colleen Thayer. Students along with teachers and parents will be able to learn the early symptoms of mental health conditions and how to ask for help. Since half of all mental illness begins by age 14, early identification and intervention can lessen the impact of a diagnosis.”
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Doreen Sutherland, chair of Out of the Blue, welcomes sponsors to support the event. “We had over 400 attend last year’s inaugural event and realize people want to support mental health in Sarasota County,” stated Sutherland. "We are planning for another exceptional evening!” For sponsorship opportunities or in-kind donations, call NAMI at 941-376-9361.
More information about the programs of NAMI Sarasota County as a mental health resource is available at www.NAMIsarasotacounty.org.
