Dear Family & Friends,

Dear Family & Friends,

I am writing you today to tell you about an upcoming event that I am participating in that is both very important and very exciting to me. It is NAMIWalks for the Mind of America, NAMI’s signature walkathon event that is being held in Salt Lake City, UT at Franklin Covey Field on September 27, 2008.

My family has put a team together in my honor in helping to understand what it is like for me everyday dealing with BiPolar. I am excited to have the opportunity to share this experience with them & to walk side by side with them for something that is so real in all of our lives. If you cannot join us I hope that you will take the time to look at the website & learn more about all that NAMI has to offer you & anyone you may know struggling with any type of mental illness.

I would like to ask you to come and walk with me or to donate to support my participation in this great event. If you would like to register to walk with me, visit my team's page at http://www.nami.org/namiwalks08/SLC/LovelyLeah. Or if you just want to make a donation to sponsor me, visit http://www.nami.org/walkdonation.cfm?id=69010. Donating online is fast and secure, and I'll get immediate notification via e-mail of your donation.

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the largest education, support and advocacy organization that serves the needs of all those whose lives are touched by these illnesses. This includes persons with mental illness, their families, friends, employers, the law enforcement community and policy makers. The NAMI organization is composed of approximately 1100 local affiliates, 50 state offices and a national office.

The goals of the NAMIWalks program are: to fight the stigma that surrounds mental illness, to build awareness of the fact that the mental health system in this country needs to be improved, and to raise funds for NAMI so that they can continue their mission.

NAMI is a 501(c)3 charity and any donation you make to support my participation in this event is tax deductible. NAMI has been rated by Worth magazine as among the top 100 charities "most likely to save the world" and has been given an "A" rating by The American Institute of Philanthropy for efficient and effective use of charitable dollars.

Thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,
Leah Smith



THANK YOU!
If you have questions about the NAMI Utah Walk, or your participation in it, please contact Mary Gully at mary@namiut.org or (801) 323-9900. Remember, you may access and manage your online registration anytime by visiting www.nami.org/mynami.

For technical questions regarding your custom fundraising link or collecting online donations, please contact walks@nami.org.