By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
Splash into Prevention Awareness, a youth event spotlighting substance use and mental health resources, will be at the Hays Aquatic Park Thursday.
Hosted by Living Independently in Northwest Kansas, eight facilities will be at Hays Aquatic Park, 300 Main St., to introduce local services and offer an evening of swimming, games, and prizes.
Alisha Hammerschmidt, lead substance abuse counselor at LINK, said a youth committee of various agencies was formed to address prevention efforts.
"All of them come to these quarterly meetings where we brainstorm ways to provide prevention in the area," she said. "We wanted to raise community awareness for Ellis County and educate everybody on substance use and mental health."
From 6:45 to 8:45 p.m., enjoy live music, food, and games such as booth blackout bingo. Attendees are encouraged to visit and learn about the following organizations at their tables.
- LINK Inc.
- Heartland RADAC
- High Plains Mental Health
- Fort Hays State University
- Chamber Children's Mental Health
- Smoky Hill Foundation
- Counseling Connections
- Oxford
"Those facilities will have tools from their programs, prevention materials and educational materials available," Hammerschmidt said.
LINK will be the primary organization providing prevention materials, recognizing the need for substance abuse prevention at an earlier age. The nonprofit serves clients 13 years and older.
The event is free for anyone interested in learning about community resources, but raffle tickets are available for $5 for 10 tickets, $10 for 25 tickets and $20 for 55 tickets. Prizes include a speaker, TV, AirPods and gift baskets.
Other games and activities at Splash into Prevention will focus on teaching skills while ensuring a fun evening, complete with a DJ setup.
"We have a game geared around healthy communication because communication is important in preventing mental health and substance use. You have to be able to speak about what's going on inside," Hammerschmidt said.
Another goal of Splash into Prevention Awareness is to show the community that fun can be had without drugs and alcohol.
LINK Chief Executive Officer Angie Zimmerman said the fun night includes various community members, including law enforcement.
"Police officers will be there showing that they can have fun, are approachable and are for the community," she said.
Zimmerman said booth information can be a valuable future resource, even if not immediately needed, as attendees can recall what they learned from their visit.
Splash into Prevention is the first of many events to raise awareness and gather feedback from the area.
"This is a kickoff, we are going to do more things and at this event, we want to get information on what the community would like to see," Zimmerman said.
LINK is a disability agency that assists people with basic at-home tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, organization and self-care, to live independently.
Additional services LINK provides include the Community Action Public Policy Change Agents and the Kansas Telecommunication Access Program.
You can make donations to LINK and its efforts by contacting Angie Zimmerman at [email protected].
You can find more information on its website and follow them on Facebook.