10/02/2026
The Beautiful Minds Walk is a Community Awareness Event and Fundraiser for NAMI SLOCO (NAMI San Luis Obispo County). It will be held on Saturday October 10, 2026, in Mission Plaza, downtown San Luis Obispo. Starting at 10 am and finishing at 1:30 pm. It includes a mental health Resource Fair with 15 different organizations, a silent auction, entertainment by Summer’s Renegades, presentations by four local mental health leaders and the Walk itself, through downtown SLO.
NAMI SLOCO truly walks the walk - powering the National Alliance on Mental Illness for the important and inspirational work it does in San Luis Obispo County. It is actually more than a walk. It is a movement - a celebration of individuals, families, and communities coming together for one powerful purpose: Mental Health for All.
The Beautiful Minds Walk is also the major fundraiser for NAMI SLOCO. While we are a volunteer grassroots organization, there are still major expenses for the NAMI education programs, support groups and running the local office. I hope you to help support us with your donation, even if you cannot attend the event. You can do that online at: namiwalks.org/slo
Sign up by yourself or you can start a team of family, friends and co-workers or join an existing team. Those donating $100.00 or more will receive a free NAMIWALKS T-Shirt on the day of the Walk.
Entertainment for The Beautiful Minds Walk will be provided by Summer’s Renegades, a live high-energy group from Pismo Beach. The Resource Fair with be staffed by volunteers, who can talk with you about their services for our mental health community. We will be offering donated and complimentary coffee, water, fresh fruit, and breakfast pastries all day. The silent auction will offer goods and services donated by local businesses. And for those with creative inspiration, we will have a Rock Painting party table.
Our MC for the day is Frank Warren from SLO County Behavior Health. We will feature presentations from four different community leaders. Michael Kaplan from Transitions Mental Health Association; from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department, Sgt. Ron Slaughter; Andrea Gray, PhD Head Psychologist at CMC; and finally Brian Atwell, past president of NAMI SLOCO, will tell us about a new type of Mental Health triage facility benefitting many communities that would also bring relief to San Luis Obispo County: The EmPATH Unit (Emergency Psychiatry, Assessment, Treatment and Healing unit).
We will walk as a group through downtown San Luis Obispo to bring awareness of the services offered by the National Alliance on Mental Illness through our local affiliate, NAMI SLOCO.
We expect activities to finish around 1:30 pm with the closing ceremony. This is your opportunity to have an influence by shining a light on mental health in SLO County.
The Beautiful Minds Walk is one of more than 200 community Walks presented by NAMI State Organizations and NAMI Affiliates from coast to coast. When it comes to mental health, together, we are stronger. Together, we break down barriers. Together, we create hope.
Together, we are NAMIWalks.
Please join us on Saturday October 10, 2026.
About NAMI
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI San Luis Obispo County is an affiliate of NAMI CA. Our dedicated volunteer members and leaders work tirelessly to raise awareness and provide essential education, advocacy, and support group programs for people in our community living with mental illness and their loved ones.
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