The Arc, Mental Health America raising awareness at Oktoberfest

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Since becoming executive director of two organizations earlier this year, Melanie O’Neal has mainly focused on awareness.

While fundraising also is needed for Mental Health America of Jackson County and The Arc of Jackson County, getting the word out about both groups is just as important, she said.

A Rada Cutlery fundraiser was done for Mental Health America, and fresh wreath sales are underway.

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O’Neal wanted to do something during the Seymour Oktoberfest that would benefit both organizations, so she approached both boards of directors.

Someone suggested a duck pond, and O’Neal took that idea to an Oktoberfest board member.

Now, the duck pond booth can be found right in the middle of the festival grounds on the northwest corner of Second and Chestnut streets near the information booth.

“Our No. 1 goal of Oktoberfest is to increase awareness of our organizations,” O’Neal said. “Not everyone knows that we’re there, so therefore, they’re not tapping into the resources that are provided, so that’s the No. 1 goal. We want to help people that live here. That’s the main goal, and we can’t help them if they don’t know that we exist.”

Mental Health America advocates for people with mental disabilities, while The Arc advocates for people with intellectual and physical disabilities.

The booth first opened Thursday and will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. today and Saturday. Kids get one play for $1 or three plays for $5.

“We wanted to be cautious on how much we charged because awareness is our priority. Income, that is just the icing on the cake,” O’Neal said. “We’re hoping that we have a good response and kids can come and have a good time. Every duck you pick up, you are going to get a prize.”

Each duck has a number on the bottom, and kids can pick a prize from the same numbered basket.

“Everything we make will be 100 percent profit because I’ve had very generous donors provide money for all of my prizes,” O’Neal said. “Everything that you see, everything has been covered by donations.”

O’Neal bought the water table from a local business that closed, while Leonard Bruce made the wooden board that says “Duck pond,” and Ruel West cut out a wooden duck and Bruce painted it. There also are rubber duck balloons and string lights.

The Oktoberfest committee requires booths to have a Bavarian theme, so O’Neal added German decorations along with straw bales, pumpkins, mums and fall leaf garland.

The committee doesn’t allow booths to hand out brochures or cards, so O’Neal has banners for each organization in the booth.

She and her 28 board members helping run the booth also are there to talk to people and listen.

“If people can see a banner, remember it, go back and Google it or just in talking to my board members that are here, maybe someone will say, ‘I’m bipolar.’ Maybe it can start some communication,” she said.

With her office nearby on the third floor of the Community Agency Building, O’Neal also can tell people to come there for information.

For The Arc, she has information on medicaid waivers and a master trust.

“We’ve got a lot of brochures up in my office or they can go to our website,” she said.

For Mental Health, there is a mental health screening toolkit online at mentalhealthamericajc.net that people can access.

“If you are thinking maybe you’re depressed or you’re bipolar, you can go online and answer some questions,” she said. “At the end of the survey, it would give you recommendations if maybe you should seek mental health help.”

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46th annual Seymour Oktoberfest schedule

Today

General festival activities

11 a.m. to 11 p.m.: Food, activity and arts and crafts booths open

11 a.m. to 11 p.m.: Biergarten open (West Second Street)

1 to 11 p.m.: Carnival (bracelets honored from 1 to 5 p.m.; ride bracelets $20 at ticket booth at the corner of East Second Street and Indianapolis Avenue)

6 to 8 p.m.: Registration for the baby contest (near the information booth)

7:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Hot air balloon glow (grass lot on the corner of West Fifth and North Walnut streets)

Throughout the day: Roving musicians Spoon Man, accordionist Larry Von Essen from 4 to 7 p.m. and Lost Mill String Band from 6 to 8 p.m.

North Stage (Third and Chestnut streets)

5 to 6 p.m.: Brown Bouncing Bears

6 to 7 p.m.: Columbus Clogging Co.

8 to 10 p.m.: Tastes Like Chicken

Kenny Glass Stage (South Chestnut Street)

5:30 to 6 p.m.: Hairless for the Homeless

6 to 7 p.m.: Country Kickers

7 to 11 p.m: Bluegrass music by Dan Branaman & Eagle Ridge, Mixed Media and Hoosier Hills

German American Bank Stage (West Second Street)

6:30 to 10:30 p.m.: Schulhaus 4+3 German Band

Saturday

General festival activities

11 a.m. to 11 p.m.: Food, activity and arts and crafts booths open

11 a.m. to 11 p.m.: Biergarten open

7 to 8 a.m.: Registration for the 5K walk/run (Seymour High School commons)

8 a.m.: 5K walk/run (Seymour High School)

9:20 a.m.: 5K walk/run awards

10:30 a.m. to noon: Registration for Oktoberfest Horseshoe Tournament (Gaiser Park)

Noon: Oktoberfest Horseshoe Tournament (Gaiser Park)

1:30 p.m.: Parade (Community Drive, Second Street and Walnut Street)

4 p.m.: Game of S.K.A.T.E. (Schurman-Grubb Memorial Skate Park)

4 p.m.: Stein hoist (Biergarten)

4 p.m.: Hot air balloons arrive (grass lot on the corner of West Fifth and North Walnut streets)

5:15 p.m.: Hot air balloon race (grass lot on the corner of West Fifth and North Walnut streets)

1 to 11 p.m.: Carnival (corner of East Second Street and Indianapolis Avenue)

Throughout the day: Roving musicians Spoon Man, accordionst Larry Von Essen from 1 to 7 p.m., Cincinnati Circus Co. from 2 to 7 p.m. and Lost Mill String Band from 4 to 6 p.m.

North Stage (Third and Chestnut streets)

9:30 to 10:30 a.m.: Baby contest

3 to 5 p.m.: Taiko Japanese Drums

5:30 to 6:15 p.m.: Cooking demonstration with chef Daniel Orr and Dr. Kelly Baute, co-authors of "The Wellness Lifestyle" and co-owners of Wellness Life LLC

6:30 p.m.: Brat eating contest

7:30 p.m.: Talent show

Kenny Glass Stage (South Chestnut Street)

3 to 5 p.m.: Cornerstone Praise Team

6 to 7 p.m.: Midwest Station

7 to 10 p.m.: Alley Katz

German American Bank Stage (West Second Street)

2:30 to 4 p.m.: Schulhaus 4+3 German Band

3 p.m.: Chicken and polka dance contest

6:30 to 10:30 p.m.: Schulhaus 4+3 German Band

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Mental Health America of Jackson County: Visit mentalhealthamericajc.net or facebook.com/mentalhealthamericaofjacksoncoindiana; email [email protected]; or call 812-522-3480

The Arc of Jackson County: Visit arcjacksoncounty.org or facebook.com/thearcofjackoncountyindiana; email [email protected]; or call 812-521-8651

Both offices are located on the third floor in Suite 314 of the Community Agency Building, 113 N. Chestnut St., downtown Seymour.

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