May 19 is a day that the Baker family of Plainsboro will always remember as the day that 19-year-old Kenny lost his long battle with mental illness and completed suicide. But out of the deepest kind of sorrow, they have built hope. This year, on the third anniversary of Kenny’s death, runners, walkers, and their four-footed friends will be participating in Walk for A.I.R., a day of family-friendly events anchored by a certified 5K run to highlight awareness of mental health issues, especially among young people.
Serving as the event’s ambassador is one of the Baker’s five dogs, Miki, the Pomeranian who won national recognition by the American Kennel Association as the recipient of the Award for Canine Excellence (ACE) for his work as a therapy dog for A.I.R., Attitudes in Reverse. The organization was started by the Bakers to educate families about mental illness and remove the stigma attached to it. Kenny’s sister, Katelyn, came up with the name to describe the effort to reverse current societal attitudes about mental illness.
Walk for A.I.R. takes place at Mercer County Community Park in West Windsor on Saturday, May 19th. People can sign up for the Miki & Friends 5K Run/Walk for AIR at any one of the following sites: RunForAIR.org,WalkForAIR.org, or VolunteerForAIR.org
The Bakers hope to make WALK for A.I.R. an annual event. “Kenny’s life was short but he had a purpose, to help others and he continues to help others through us,” said his mother, Tricia Baker. “No one chooses mental health advocacy unless you are touched by it. Since Kenny’s death, we’ve made so much progress to fight the stigma of mental illness. By the time of this event, we will have spoken to thousands of New Jersey students at schools including Piscataway High School, South Hunterdon Middle and High School, Cherry Hill High School, Notre Dame, and WW-P High School North.”
Miki’s award for his work as a therapy dog brought mental illness to national attention when the awards ceremony was televised in February on an ABC network special program.
“Dogs are the hook because they are good for our mental health,” said Baker, who is a certified dog trainer, amember of APDT, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, and owns a dog walking service called 20 Paws in honor of the family’s five dogs. “Just looking at dogs can release oxytocin, the relationship hormone, and petting a dog releases serotonin and dopamine, so there is a physiological reason why dogs are good for the well-being.”
One in four Americans is touched by mental illness in some way. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, half of all lifetime cases of mental illness present by the age of 14 and three-quarters of all lifetime cases present by the age of 24. “And yet, as a society, we do not educate students about the signs and symptoms to look for,” said Kurt Baker, Kenny’s father. “And that’s why we are working so hard to change that.”
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and there are many events leading up to the May 19 Walk for A.I.R. People can sign up at the website AttitudesInReverse.org/Events. To help defray the costs, A.I.R. has launched a fundraiser, called “Jarring for A.I.R.” placing jars to collect money in local stores in West Windsor, Plainsboro, Princeton, Cranbury, and Seaside Park.
“We want to go outside the choir box and reach out to communities outside the mental health community and educate those who might be suffering,” said Kurt Baker. “That includes young people and their parents and even those who are not affected so there will be more empathy and kindness for those who are suffering. What better way to spread the message than a family-oriented event with a therapy dog like Miki as our ambassador?”
“When you lose a child, you lose a piece of yourself and it’s always missing,” said Tricia Baker. “But knowing that Kenny’s life has helped save others allows us to continue in our healing process.”
Area vendors supporting Jarring for AIR include Plainsboro Pharmacy, Great Clips, Art Nails Spa, Dr. Jamie Scott Blecher, Cranbury Pizza, Charmed by Claire, Knapp’s Cyclery of Cranbury, Bistro of Cranbury, Indian Hut Restaurant, Bagel Hole, PowerHouse Gym, Romeo’s Restaurant & Pizza, Meadows Opticians, and D’Angelo Italian Market.
5K Run and Dog Walk, Attitudes in Reverse, Mercer Park, East Area, West Windsor. Saturday, May 19, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. 5K run begins at 9 a.m. Dog walk begins at 10 a.m. Therapy Dog International, Canine Good Citizen evaluations, Ask the Trainer, Blessing of the Animals, massage for dogs, Heavenly Hound demonstrations, Maverick Pet Partner nutrition advice, and more. The event was inspired by Miki, a pomeranian who has been educating youth about mental health awareness and suicide prevention. The organization was created by the family of Kenny Baker, a young man who battled anxiety and depression for many years before committing suicide. Register online. www.attitudesinreverse.org.
