![Brooklyn Aakre, Alonso Esquivel, Jordin Glenny and D'Angelo Mazerat, Crestview residents, lead the way during the Mental Health Awareness walkathon May 5 in Crestview. [Okaloosa Head Start | Special to the News Bulletin]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-4d499a79-fd3a-2d0c-e053-0100007f2a3f-70d074d8.jpeg)
CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa Head Start sites here had a walkathon in observance of the National Children's Mental Health Awareness Week May 1-5.
While the NCMHA Day is May 4, due to severe weather, children, their parents and teachers at both locations walked May 5 in Crestview. The walks ended with a balloon release.
OHS Mental Health & Disabilities specialist Junia Askew, with support from staff members, organized a weeklong program for the observance. It included the reading of a story about mental health; creating art for a display featuring the color green for mental health awareness; dressing in green; parental awareness of mental health; and creating banners featuring green for the walkathon.
The children also had a classroom activity where they discussed "What Mental Health Means to Me."
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Head Start sites celebrate children's mental health