A Step Towards Mental Health on Thanksgiving Day
Mike Bratton stands before a quiet crowd in the Nevada Union bleachers on a chilly Thanksgiving morning, microphone in hand, just minutes before a starter’s pistol will usher a staggering 2,500 runners, walkers, joggers, parents, kids, strollers, teens, and young adults, across a 5k/10k starting line on Nevada Union High School’s red-tartan track in the name of community and mental health.
His annual speech, which gives deep meaning to the event’s beginnings and nearly two decades of tradition, welcomes long-time supporters and first-time participants in honor of his son, Michael Edward Bratton II, a well-known athlete, friend, coach, and brother, who took his own life in 2006 at the age of 25. “Did we ever think about this thing going 10, 15, 20 years?” asks Mike. “No. Did we ever think we’d have 600 people the first year? Then 2,500? Then 3,000? No, but we have, and it’s made a huge impact, from what we see, not only on our friends and family, but on the community, and on our healing as well. I won’t say we’ve healed, that’s a never-ending process, but I don’t want it to end because I think it’s so valuable for talking about mental health; more importantly, for giving people permission to talk about mental health, and not suppressing it. When Michael took his life, the Nevada County Suicide Prevention Team did not exist. All of that came about because of this movement, because of what we’re doing to speak openly about mental health, and because of the funds we raise from the annual Turkey Trot, 50% of which goes to Anew Day, a non-profit faith-based counseling center in Nevada County. It all started from wanting to keep other families from ever having to face the situation we did with Michael. I always said, I’d trade anything, anything at all.”
The Turkey Trot kicks off at 8:30am Thanksgiving morning with a 10k race and a 5k race/walk. The kids race starts at 8:15am on the football field with toms and hens chasing the big race-day turkey down the field. “It is a reunion. It’s fun. It’s fun seeing the little kids out on the field. It’s fun watching the people that come just to donate, have a cup of coffee and a donut. And that’s okay. That’s what I like about the Turkey Trot. You feel more understood when you’re sharing your feelings with somebody that’s gone through something similar. Those words ‘mental health,’ the stigma of those words have got to go away. Mental health is just another illness, like cancer or a cold. You can be healed, you can live a better life, and through counseling and therapy you can regain joy and purpose. But it’s recognizing it. It’s saying, ‘Okay, I’ve got trouble. I’ve got to reach my hand out and get help.’ So, to me, the Turkey Trot is just a way for me to share what we’ve been through, what’s gotten us through–which is our faith–and my goal every year is not to tear up, but I do. I probably should be through this by now but I’m not, it’s obvious, but it helps. I have people every year say, ‘What I heard Mike, from you, spurred me to go get help, or spurred me to get my daughter, or my child, or my friend, help.’ I can tell you right now, it’s saved a life. I get that every year. But every year I also get somebody new who’s just lost a loved one to suicide, that hasn’t ended, and they’ll come up to me and talk, and it’s hard, but we’re helping them with their healing process, or we’re helping them to get help. We’ve made an impact, I know we have. And that has to continue.”
Registration for the annual event online at: meb2turkeytrot.com
