Power Up YOUth wants you to go for a walk and put your mind at ease.

That’s fundamentally what the Second Annual Make It OK Walk/Event is about: blending a walk in nature with a crucial focus on mental well-being.

The event is Thursday, May 9, at the Brewer Creek walking trail and shelter. It runs from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

“The purpose of the event is to promote mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigmas associated with it,” Tiffany Larson, of Building Families, said. She is also a member of Power Up YOUth, the Hamilton County coalition of social service workers and people concerned with the well-being of the future of local youth.

“Mental illnesses can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, race, religion or income,” she said.

“It’s time to talk about mental health in Iowa. To talk about brain health and mental wellness in Hamilton County. Talk about it all in similar ways that we talk about physical health. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This is the ideal time to spark conversations and awareness around a vital, yet still taboo topic.”

This event is free and open to everyone.

Food will be available for purchase from Hy-Vee Webster City — steak sandwiches, burgers, brats, chips and pop — and Kona Ice of Central Iowa will zip in with iced treats from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Hamilton County Public Health will provide free water.

There will also be resource materials available and other activities.

Participants are asked to wear green.

Larson wants all people to understand some mental health fundamentals.

“It’s okay to have a mental illness or treatable health condition. Many of us do,” she said. “In fact, mental illnesses and treatable health conditions are common. Nearly one in five Americans. They are more common than people with diabetes, which is one in 10. Yet, how we talk about these two conditions are very different. That’s because of stigma.

“Stigma is a negative perception of a person because of their condition. People may delay seeking treatment or support because of stigma.

“The sooner people get treatment, the greater their chances of recovery. Breaking that down a bit more, stigma is when someone, or yourself, views a person in a negative way just because they have a mental health condition. Some describe stigma as a feeling of shame or judgment from someone else. Stigma can even come from an internal place, confusing feeling bad with being bad.”

Power Up YOUth wants to connect youth, parents and caregivers, and community members in Hamilton County — and surrounding areas — to resources and support to help end the stigma on mental health, she said.