The Great Chesapeake Bay Wellness Race attracts many participants from the region.

CAMBRIDGE — The National Mental Health Association has designated May as National Mental Health Month to create awareness about this illness and the possibly disabling consequences of this disease. A way to participate locally and promote good physical and mental health is with the Maryland Department of Health’s Eastern Shore Hospital Center (ESHC) Auxiliary event.

This year the Eastern Shore Hospital Center Auxiliary will host this Wellness Race & Family Walk on May 12, beginning at 8 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge. Participation fees for the race for adults are $30 pre-registration for the 10K run, 5K Run/Walk and 1 mile Family Walk.

The fee includes a commemorative t-shirt featuring patient artwork, refreshments, post-race breakfast, awards and door prizes. There is no fee for children 12 and under, however, their registration cannot be done through Active.com, they must be registered in person at the hospital before race day, or on location the day of the race.

For the last 15 years, approximately 300 community members have joined together on the second Saturday in May to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.

More than 200 runners and walkers participated in the 2017 event.

All proceeds directly benefit ESHC patients, residents and special patient programs.

The ESHC Auxiliary is a totally volunteer, 501 (c) 3 organization whose sole purpose is to provide patient services at the hospital. The Auxiliary sponsors many special activities throughout the year. It is the Auxiliary’s goal to raise $10,000.00 a year in order to give patients approximately $1 per day to use in the center’s café or gift shop.

The Eastern Shore Hospital Center is a regional acute-care psychiatric facility, under the jurisdiction of the Maryland Department of Health. The ESHC Auxiliary was chartered in 1952. As a not for profit organization, the Auxiliary has a parallel mission with the Eastern Shore Hospital Center. This mission is to provide the highest quality recovery-based continuum adult inpatient and transitional mental health services for 60 patients and 16 residents on the Eastern Shore serving citizens of the counties of Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester.

Contact ACTIVE.COM (Search 21613) events to register online.

To register, volunteer, become a sponsor, please contact the ESHC Auxiliary at 410-221-2358 or toll free at 888-216-8110, ext. 2358 or fax 410-221-2356 or email: Judith.slaughter@maryland.gov.