Embrace Our Youth 5K Seeks To Improve Mental Health Awareness

ALPHARETTA, GA — Alpharetta City Councilman Ben Burnett will team up with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Child Fatality Review Unit and Hiser Orthodontics to host the Embrace Our Youth 5K and Fun Run on Saturday, June 23.

The race, which welcomes adults and youths to participate as individuals and teams, will begin at 7:30 a.m. at Hiser Orthodontics parking lot at 3180 North Point Parkway in Alpharetta. All proceeds will benefit Lou Ruspi Jr. Foundation Mental Health and Wellness Educational Programs, which focus on mental wellness, positive coping skills, test anxiety, stress management, and increasing happiness in our daily lives by creating a better mindset.

“Given the prevalence of stress and trauma disorders among Fulton County youth and based on my service with the Alpharetta community, there is a mounting need to build behavioral health awareness," said Burnett, who is in his first term on the City Council.

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The event will promote mental health awareness in fun and stigma free manner. The theme of this event is "Better Than Yesterday," which honors the spirit of positive well-being, one day at a time. Supporters are asked to wear yellow to shine light on the importance of mental health education among our youth and throughout our community.

The LRJ Foundation was created in 2012 by Teressa Stann, the current executive director, and her sister, Karla Finn, after losing their brother to suicide. The organization works to reduce stereotypes and the stigma surrounding mental health by "increasing happiness and positivity through awareness and education for students."

“In structuring this initiative, our focus was placed exclusively on building awareness in a fun way that educators, survivors, families and supporters can share,” Stann said of the 5K.

LRJ Foundation programs have provided direct education more than 30,000 individuals, with 80 percent being youth, including Webb Bridge Middle School in Alpharetta, and The Premo School and Elkins Pointe Middle School in Roswell.

“The daily headlines, national statistics, and local news clearly reveal that our youth are in crisis," said Trebor Randle, GBI special agent in charge of the Child Fatality Review Unit. "We must start the conversation and reduce the stigma. Raising awareness of how to better recognize the warning signs and engage youth on how to better care for themselves is key."

You can sign up for the June 23 5K by clicking here. For more details, visit the LRJ Foundation website.

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