CHICAGO –(ENEWSPF)—September 11, 2015. Twenty-five percent of the American populace lives with mental illness and an estimated one million Americans die by suicide every year. One family is combatting that sobering statistic after the death of their brother, who struggled mightily with mental illness.
After the tragic loss of brother, Dana Tengelsen, who took his life after a long battle with mental illness, the Tengelsen Family Foundation, lead by Sabrina Tengelsen Guthrie added mental health to their previous areas of focus which are childhood obesity and education for underserved inner-city Chicago youth. Mental illness is a complex, often misunderstood health issue that often comes with a tremendous amount of shame. Frequently, this can be an obstacle to people seeking treatment for their illness. NAMIWalks Chicago provides hope and encourages people to talk openly about their illness and the challenges they face.
This year, the Tengelsen Family Foundation, led by siblings Sabrina Guthrie and Erich Tengelsen and Erich’s wife, Jennifer Tengelsen, is lead sponsor for NAMIWalks Chicago in honor of Dana Tengelsen. Sabrina remembers her brother as an accomplished, respected and talented man who was loved and admired by everyone who knew him.
Sabrina came to NAMI Chicago in 2013 to help others, while honoring the memory of her brother, Dana. The Tengelsen Family Foundation has been an integral part of the NAMI Chicago family ever since, with Sabrina joining the Board of Directors in 2014. Rather than being rooted in tragedy, Sabrina and her family want Dana’s memory and legacy to be one of hope. The Tengelsen Family Foundation has participated in NAMIWalks since 2013. Each year Team Dana has grown, with 62 people walking together last year. With the support of friends, family, and people in their professional networks, Team Dana has been the top fundraising team for the last two years.
On September 26th, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chicago will be hosting its 10th annual 5K fundraiser called NAMIWalks Chicago, which will take place at Dusable Harbor. The goal of NAMIWalks Chicago is to raise money and increase awareness of NAMI Chicago’s mission: to provide hope and improve the quality of life for those whose lives are affected by mental illness. NAMI Chicago provides education, advocacy, and support to the Chicago community around mental illness.
Along with over 80 teams participating in NAMIWalks Chicago, Team Dana walks proudly to share a vision of hope for all those who are struggling with mental illness.
NAMIWalks Chicago celebrates mental illness recovery, honors those who have lost their lives to mental illness, raises funds for critical programs, and combats stigma and promotes awareness. For more info on the Tengelsen Family Foundation or the Sept. 26 NAMIWalksChicago, visit www.namiwalks.org/chicago or email [email protected], or call 312-563-0445.
Source: www.namiwalks.org
