Why We Walk: Hustle For Health, a virtual 5K, to raise funds for Kenneth Young Center

When the Kenneth Young Center — originally called the Elk Grove-Schaumburg Township Mental Health Center — was founded in 1970 in Elk Grove Village, it focused exclusively on mental health services, advocating for the most vulnerable people to have access to quality mental health care.

Today, the center has expanded to provide senior services, prevention services, substance abuse recovery and an LGBTQ+ Center. There are more than 25 programs that support clients of all ages across the Northwest suburbs of Chicago.

From June 1-10, KYC will host its largest fundraiser, Hustle for Health, as a virtual 5K run/walk, followed by an online celebration June 13 for all participants.

We talked to Kate Garbarek, director of development and communications, about the event and how you can get involved.

Q: What does the Kenneth Young Center do for the community?

A: Our mission statement is: We partner with communities to support people of all ages navigate life's challenges through personalized prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery.

We fulfill that mission through clinical and nonclinical programming that can be wrapped around a client's individualized needs and the needs of their families.

For more than 15,000 people a year, KYC provides outpatient therapy, addiction recovery services, mental health programs, education and outreach services to youth and adults, as well as a variety of programs specialized for older adults, like Home Delivered Meals, benefits counseling and care coordination.

Q: Who does it help the most?

A: KYC focuses on supporting our community as a whole. Although we certainly have individual clients, we also recognize that most people live as part of a family or community.

For example, when providing therapy to a child, their parents must also be engaged in the child's treatment plan. Or an older adult may have a spouse or caregiver who is an integral part of their day-to-day support.

Our educational programs work to provide community awareness and resources that de-stigmatize care, prevent youth drug and alcohol use, and create healthier communities as a whole. Our clients range in age from 3-105 (yes, 105!) — so truly anyone can receive support through our programs.

Q: Tell us about the Hustle for Health 5K. How does it work? Who can participate?

A: The Hustle for Health is KYC's largest fundraiser and community celebration. This year, our celebration is going virtual to protect everyone's health and safety, but anyone can register at give.kennethyoung.org/2020.

All participants are encouraged to fundraise to support our programs, and we'll invite runners and walkers to “hit the sidewalk” June 1-10 wearing their Hustle for Health participant bib, sending us photos of their experience that we can share with ALL our participants June 13.

Whether you can run the whole way, walk, ride, roll or cheerlead for other participants, everyone is welcome to our virtual event. We have fundraising prizes for participants and will host social media challenges over the upcoming weeks.

Our plan is to have a webinar format where participants can watch a short live presentation and then the video of people's 5K photos, sponsor recognition and information on KYC. Participants can send in questions to be answered by our CEO, and we'll record the entire event so anyone who can't join us can watch later.

We'll post details on our social media pages, website, and email them out to participants so they have all the information they need to participate.

Our programs have never been more important than they are now — mental health, substance abuse prevention and recovery, and senior support programming — we're in this together. Because we believe: Together We Thrive.

We'll miss seeing everyone in person, but look forward to a new celebration that has evolved with our communities' needs — just like KYC has for the last 50 years.

Q: How can people sign up to participate?

A: People can register individually or as a team on our 5K website: give.kennethyoung.org/2020.

Q: How can readers help if they can't participate in the challenge?

A: If you can't join us June 13, you can still register to win fundraising prizes. You can be with us in spirit, while helping build awareness for KYC and our programs. Or you can make a general donation to the event to show your support.

Follow us on social media (@KennethYoungCenter on Facebook/LinkedIn and @KYC_egv on Twitter/Instagram), and sign up for our monthly newsletter to get the latest news from KYC and learn about volunteer opportunities, new programs and ways to get involved.

Q: What else would you like readers to know?

A: During these challenging times, KYC is a resource for our community. Visit www.kennethyoung.org to learn more about how we can support you, and always feel free to call our team at (847) 524-8800.

We are here to help people feel good, do better and find solutions. And stay tuned ... we're planning events and celebrations as our 50th anniversary approaches in November. We've grown over the last 50 years because of the support of our community, so we'll need our community to properly celebrate what we've been able to do together!

Kenneth Young Center's Hustle for Health 5K

When: Run or walk June 1-10; virtual celebration is June 13

Register: Register individually or as a team at give.kenneth young.org/2020.