Barrington area to 'Stomp the Stigma' Saturday

The Barrington area is already well provided with mental health services, but a communitywide event Saturday hopes to "Stomp the Stigma" of seeking them out.

With four Barrington High School students having taken their own lives in the last two years, the event is intended to shine new light on mental health issues and erase any shame of getting help.

"Stomp the Stigma" will begin with a walk at 4:15 p.m. from Wool Street Grill and the commuter parking lot off Main Street in downtown Barrington to the Barrington High stadium. The rest of the program lasts until 9 p.m.

The event will be anything but a series of dour lectures, organizers promise. The program will include performances by local musicians and dancers, with food available from stadium concessions.

The evening will end with an address from "Rachel's Challenge" - a program prompted by the 1999 Columbine tragedy - as well as a performance by an unnamed but nationally known band and a commemorative light show.

The event is one of the first organized by H.E.R.E. in Barrington, a mental health task force created during the summer. The group's name stands for "Help, Encouragement, Resources, Education."

While the primary outreach of H.E.R.E. in Barrington is to students at risk, events like "Stomp the Stigma" are intended to spread the word among their peers and parents to ensure none falls through the cracks, adult coordinator Harry MacCartney said.

"We want students to be comfortable referring their friends to these services," MacCartney said. "Our message is, 'Don't hold back.' And parents may wonder, 'How do I distinguish between typical teen angst and what might be a more serious problem?'"

Rob Weidner, one of the student organizers, said the multifaceted nature of the event seems to be inspiring much interest among his peers.

"They're going to walk away changed," he said. "The main goal of this was to have people walking away feeling something greater."

Courtney Griffin, another student organizer, said the goal is for 5,000 people, including a third to half the high school student body, to participate Saturday.

She feels confident the message of H.E.R.E. in Barrington is already spreading.

"People now feel comfortable addressing these issues, which they weren't two years ago," Griffin said.

Among the entertainment for the event is local orchestra Ron Bedal & Friends, teen bands The Light Up Scene and Try Seeing Double, Barrington High's Orchesis dance troupe, female a cappella group Premium Blend and male a cappella group X.

Attendance is free, but "Stomp the Stigma" T-shirts are being sold in advance for $10 each at Barrington Unit District 220's high school and middle school campuses. The proceeds will benefit future H.E.R.E. in Barrington events.

Those attending may bring blankets, stadium seat cushions and bottled water, but no other outside food or beverages are permitted.