CINCINNATI — A local group is encouraging men to take a step toward better mental health through a unique awareness event spanning the city.
Better Days Cincinnati, founded by Danny Williams, is hosting the Cincy Men’s Mental Health Awareness Walk on Sunday. The event will cover 40 miles across Cincinnati from sunup to sundown, though participants are not expected to complete the entire route.
Williams said the goal is to create opportunities for conversation while challenging people to push beyond mental barriers.
He founded Better Days Cincinnati after experiencing his own mental health struggles while living out of state. After moving to Cincinnati, Williams said he found support and healthy outlets through the local running community, including Cincy Run Club. He now hopes to give back to the city and the people who helped him through difficult times.
The walk will benefit organizations focused on mental health and addiction recovery, including TruHealing Cincinnati, a men’s only mental health and addiction treatment center. Funds will also support a pilot mental health program serving aviation professionals.
Williams said the 40-mile distance was chosen intentionally.
“The whole point of 40 miles is, we wanted to go a distance that made people get through that mental block,” Williams said. “A lot of runners know this, you hit a certain mileage and you don’t want to continue going on, but if you keep pushing and keeping moving past that mental block, it really does open your mind up to who you really are, and it will really help you with those day to day struggles a lot of people have.”
Williams hopes the event encourages men to talk openly about mental health and reminds them they are not alone in their struggles.
“I can’t speak for everybody, but for me personally, I just didn’t think it mattered to anyone else,” Williams said. “I just thought everybody has issues. Why would my issues matter? The reality is, we are all struggling, we’re all going through it, we don’t really know who to go to. So to be able to open up with anybody and everybody is the goal I want from this. Come walk with us and talk with us.”
Participants can join the walk at any point along the route. Organizers will provide aid stations throughout the day and a live Google tracker so people can follow the group’s progress across the city.
