MARQUETTE — NAMI Michigan (National Alliance on Mental Illness) will host its NAMIWalks Northern Michigan Kick-Off Rally Tuesday, July 2, at Ore Dock Brewing Co. in Marquette from 5 to 7 p.m.

The NAMIWalks Kick-Off Rally is free, family-friendly event for all members of the Upper Peninsula to come together for an afternoon of food and fun to encourage members of the Marquette and surrounding communities to support NAMIWalks Northern Michigan 5K, Sept. 14, at Mattson Harbor Park. Onsite registration begins at 8 a.m.; the walk begins at 10 a.m.

“Mental illness and suicides are mostly treatable and preventable epidemics in our society, significantly impacting our youth. Unfortunately, many families and school professionals are unaware of the resources available in their communities. Stigma continues to be the leading barrier to the treatment that leads to better outcomes,” says Kevin Fischer, executive director of NAMI Michigan. “Mental illness is a medical diagnosis; not a weakness”, says Fischer.

Michigan experienced over 1,300 suicide deaths in 2017. More than 90 percent of people who die by suicide show symptoms of a mental health condition, which means with proper diagnoses and treatment, many can be prevented. Additional NAMIWalks information is available at https://namiwalks.org/northernmichigan. For more information, contact Briana Sallis, NAMIWalks Coordinator, at bsallis@namimi.org or at (517) 853-0952.