ViewFest to break records and inspire hope at Detroit Zoo this weekend
COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — On Sunday, July 14, advocates from dozens of organizations across Metro Detroit that deal with mental health and substance abuse will participate in ViewFest, an annual event at the Detroit Zoo.
"It's literally an event you can attend and your mental health improves just by being there," said Words of Hope 4 Life executive director Nikki O'Donnell.
The nonprofit is behind ViewFest. O'Donnell says the event is a one-stop shop for anyone who needs support.
"This brings us together in a way that really, really changes the social view of mental health and stigma surrounding substance abuse," O'Donnell said.
Honest and raw conversations, along with countless resources all in the same place, is how O'Donnell says we as a society make a difference.
"I think we rally together and have conversations, so it doesn't feel weird anymore. These are the things that folks who struggle they keep inside and then we have generations of secret keepers and that keeps us very sick and so I think things like this, having conversations, making connections with folks brings us out of that darkness and I think that's when the light can shine in and really, really change things," she said.
This year, Metro Detroit will be on the map to break the Guinness world record for the number of people trained on Narcan, an overdose reversal medication.
"Working with Guinness is exciting in and of itself, but I think having a situation where folks can come and be a part of the change…literally we will leave that zoo that day with hundreds, thousands of folks trained on Narcan. And even if that's just one life that's saved, one opioid overdose that's reversed as a result, we've done our job," O'Donnell said.
Instead of sharing statistics, the organization will also use art to expose the impact of the opioid epidemic as folks experience a space called "Expedition Hope."
"It just represents the hope, the resiliency, the amount of people that are just really affected that we are not alone, and together we are much more of a powerful force," said O'Donnell.
It's an event with more than just a different view.
"I want people to know that we're all here together, and whether we call it mental health or wellness or addiction, whatever we're struggling with, we all have it. And I think we all have a piece to the solution," O'Donnell stated.
ViewFest kicks off on Sunday from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Detroit Zoo.
Pre-registration for the first 3,500 attendees is now closed. The cost for admission is $10 per person.
A list of all scheduled activities at the event is available on ViewFest's website.