KCCI EIGHT NEWS AT SIX. THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS YOUR HELP. THE ANNUAL NAMI WALK IOWA IS THIS SATURDAY. EVERY DOLLAR RAISED STAYS RIGHT HERE IN OUR STATE, AND WE ARE A PROUD MEDIA SPONSOR. KCCI ALYX SACKS SPOKE WITH IOWANS ABOUT WHY THEY WALK. OPENING UP ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH IS HARD. THERE WERE A LOT OF YEARS THAT I HID MY OWN EXPERIENCES OR MY OWN FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES, AND IT JUST FELT SO HEAVY OR IT FELT SO SHAMEFUL, OR THERE WAS SO MUCH GUILT INVOLVED. AND I THINK THAT’S THE EXPERIENCE FOR A LOT OF FOLKS THAT DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH. ANGELINA MATHER KNOWS IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY, AND I THINK IT’S ONE OF THOSE HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT WE JUST DON’T TALK ABOUT AS PUBLICLY. THAT’S WHY EACH YEAR SHE LACES UP AND HITS THE PAVEMENT, USING MOVEMENT TO SPREAD THE MISSION, UNITED WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHERS TO SUPPORT NAMI IOWA AND JUST BE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER. IT’S MORE COMMON THAN YOU THINK. MORE THAN HALF A MILLION IOWANS EXPERIENCE A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE EACH YEAR. I THINK THAT IN THIS CURRENT CLIMATE WHERE THINGS HAVE BECOME MORE UNPREDICTABLE, I THINK THAT WE’RE WE’RE WANTING TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE CALL. LAMAR YEAGER IS NAMI IOWA’S EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT MANAGER. THE WALK IS PROBABLY OUR LARGEST FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR, AND THAT MONEY RAISED THROUGH THE WALK GOES DIRECTLY TO HELPING PEOPLE. FROM FREE PROGRAMING TO COMMUNITY SUPPORT, LIKE HELPING FLOOD VICTIMS IN NORTHWEST IOWA LAST YEAR BECAUSE THEY’VE LOST EVERYTHING. AND THEN WHAT DO YOU DO? YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU PROCESS THAT? AND EVERY DOLLAR STAYS HERE IN IOWA AND IS USED ACROSS THE STATE. THE MORE THAT WE CAN MOVE OUR MISSION FORWARD AND HAVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR EVERYONE, THE BETTER OUR WORLD IS GOING TO BE. COME SATURDAY, THIS BEAUTIFUL PARK IN THE HEART OF JOHNSTON WILL BE FILLED WITH PEOPLE LOOKING FOR HUMAN CONNECTION. THERE IS A SPOT FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS WORK, AND WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US BECAUSE WE CAN’T DO IT ALONE. AND IT REALLY TAKES IT TAKES A VILLAGE. AND WE’RE WE’RE LOOKING TO CREATE COMMUNITY AROUND THIS TO END THE STIGMA. SUCH A BEAUTIFUL CAUSE. AND IT’S GOING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL DAY. NAMI WALKS IS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH. IT’S AT TERRA PARK IN JOHNSTON. REGISTRATION OPENS AT 830 IN THE MORNING. THE PROGRAM AT TEN AND THE WALK BEGINS AT 1030. OUR KCCI WELLNESS WALKERS WILL BE OUT THERE AND WE HOPE YOU JOIN US. ALYX SACKS KCCI EIGHT NEWS. IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. AND IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER HELP IS ALWAYS THERE. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS IN NEED OF MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT, 90
Iowans unite for mental health awareness at NAMIWalks Iowa
Updated: 6:26 PM CDT Sep 25, 2025
The National Alliance on Mental Health is seeking community support for the annual NAMIWalks Iowa event this Saturday, where funds raised will aid mental health initiatives statewide. Angeline Mather shared her personal journey, saying, “There were a lot of years that I hid my own experiences or my own family circumstances. I think that’s the experience for a lot of folks that deal with mental health.”Mather emphasized the importance of discussing mental health openly, stating, “I think it’s one of those health conditions that we just don’t talk about as publicly.” She joins hundreds of others each year to support NAMI Iowa, using movement to spread the mission and foster community support. “And just be able to come together and support each other because it is more common than we think,” she said.Since 2022, Mather and her NAMIWalks team, “Team on Your Side,” have raised roughly $40,000 to support NAMI and the mental health community. LeMar Yeagar, NAMI Iowa’s education and engagement manager, highlighted the significance of the event, saying, “The walk is probably our largest fundraiser of the year.” The funds raised are used for free programming and community support, including aiding flooding victims in northwest Iowa last year.” Yeagar explained, “Because they’ve lost everything. And then what do you do, you know, how do you process that?” He added, “The more that we can move our mission forward and have mental health services for everyone, the better our world is going to be.”The event will take place at Terra Park in Johnston, with registration opening at 8:30 a.m. and the walk beginning at 10:30 a.m. Mather encouraged participation, saying, “There is a spot for everybody in this work, and we invite you to join us because we can’t do it alone. And it really takes, it takes a village. And we are, we’re looking to create community around this to end the stigma.”To learn more about NAMIWalks Iowa or to register click here.For those in need of mental health support, the 988 helpline is available 24/7.» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
JOHNSTON, Iowa —
The National Alliance on Mental Health is seeking community support for the annual NAMIWalks Iowa event this Saturday, where funds raised will aid mental health initiatives statewide.
Angeline Mather shared her personal journey, saying, “There were a lot of years that I hid my own experiences or my own family circumstances. I think that’s the experience for a lot of folks that deal with mental health.”
Mather emphasized the importance of discussing mental health openly, stating, “I think it’s one of those health conditions that we just don’t talk about as publicly.” She joins hundreds of others each year to support NAMI Iowa, using movement to spread the mission and foster community support. “And just be able to come together and support each other because it is more common than we think,” she said.
Since 2022, Mather and her NAMIWalks team, “Team on Your Side,” have raised roughly $40,000 to support NAMI and the mental health community.
LeMar Yeagar, NAMI Iowa’s education and engagement manager, highlighted the significance of the event, saying, “The walk is probably our largest fundraiser of the year.” The funds raised are used for free programming and community support, including aiding flooding victims in northwest Iowa last year.” Yeagar explained, “Because they’ve lost everything. And then what do you do, you know, how do you process that?” He added, “The more that we can move our mission forward and have mental health services for everyone, the better our world is going to be.”
The event will take place at Terra Park in Johnston, with registration opening at 8:30 a.m. and the walk beginning at 10:30 a.m. Mather encouraged participation, saying, “There is a spot for everybody in this work, and we invite you to join us because we can’t do it alone. And it really takes, it takes a village. And we are, we’re looking to create community around this to end the stigma.”
To learn more about NAMIWalks Iowa or to register click here.
For those in need of mental health support, the 988 helpline is available 24/7.
» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page
» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play