ORLAND PARK, IL — The organizer of an event aimed at mental health support and awareness is bringing it back for a second year.
Michelle Maxia, director of Orland Park charity Toy Box Connection, last year debuted the "Be Kind To Your Mind" Mental Health/Wellness Fair and Walk, an event to connect members of the community with mental health resources. Maxia was touched by the support for that event, Maxia said, which drew between 400–500 attendees.
"I always have extraordinarily high expectations," Maxia said, of the 2025 event. "Every wellness warrior, every vendor who came out, said how wonderful it was. People were surprised it was the first one."
Building on that success, the 2026 event set for May 30 will feature nearly 30 vendors, a 2K "Drop the Rock" walk, family activities and food trucks, this year's event is set for Saturday, May 30. A "Defeat The Stigma" 5K race has also been added, Maxia said.
Maxia, who has lost close friends and family to suicide, said she's hoping to show those who might need it the help that's available to them.
"I want this event to have meaning," Maxia previously told Patch. "I want somebody to show up who needs help, and gets connected to something. If one person stays and finds that resource, and stays and gets better, everything I’ve done is for that one person. If it’s only one, I’m okay with that, because I did it for them."
Among the event's vendors—or as Maxia calls them, "Local Wellness Warriors"—are yoga, massage, acupuncture, a therapy pony and more. Sound, light, and massage therapists will also be present. New vendors this year include a health food store, chiropractor and acupuncturist. Bridge Teen Center will also be featured, along with Leo the Therapy Dog.
Kid- and teen-friendly activities include a bounce house, teen obstacle course, family games, and an arts and crafts tent. Home Depot will also offer a chance for hands-on arts and crafts. Food trucks will include Joey's Red Hots, Emerald Cup Coffee, Kona Sno Cones, and a taco truck.
In response to feedback from last year's event, all activities and vendors will be centralized in one space.
"I want things to just flow," Maxia said. "Vendors said that people came and talked to them, asked questions."
Maxia has a heart for helping people, having 16 years ago started the organization centered around re-homing used books and toys. A former police officer, Maxia said her encounters with battered women, addicts and children in dire circumstances stirred something in her.
"I decided I need to do something," she said. "My kids had toys, and I had to figure out something to do with them. I wanted to give them to a shelter."
There didn't seem to be an organization like that, she said—that specifically donated used toys and books to shelters.
"Out of my garage it began," Maxia said. "And now I have 30,000 square feet of space, and millions of toys go through my hands to children. Clothes, food, furniture—whatever I can get my hands on, comes to me, and I pass it on.
"In the interim, I’m sitting here thinking, the world’s seeming a little bit broken right now."
After enduring the recent grief of loss by suicide, Maxia pivoted to creating a mental health awareness effort.
"... I’ve had a lot of tragedy, but I’m trying to turn it into something for somebody else," she told Patch.
The Be Kind To Your Mind event was created, and the pieces began to fall into place. The free event, set for Saturday, May 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will be held at 10401 W. 153rd St. in Orland Park.
It's described as a day for the community to come together during Mental Health Awareness Month.
Maxia hopes the community will come to get a glimpse of resources that can lift those in need from dark places.
"Come together, tell each other, 'it’s ok, everybody struggles.'" she said. "It’s ok not to be ok, and it’s ok to tap into the resources to help you get through whatever’s in front of you that’s getting you down."
The event is intended to "raise the bar and showcase the healing resources that are available."
A 2K "Drop the Rock" walk, in particular, is designed to be a cathartic, interactive and meditative experience for participants, she said.
"People said the meditation walk, specifically, was absolutely breathtaking and incredible," Maxia said.
The event is free to attend. There is a registration fee for the 5K. Race proceeds go to National Alliance on Mental Health, an organization dedicated to providing advocacy, education, and support for individuals and families affected by mental health conditions.
"There’s a lot of solutions out there," Maxia said, of the support she hopes people feel. "That’s what we’re trying to do here—give people ways out of the dark."
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