Attended by hundreds of parents, children and extended family members, the event brought the community together in fighting the stigma around mental health.
People attended in large numbers, dressing up for the special occasion.
We saw all types of characters during the afternoon, including witches, werewolves, a Hulk, a few dinosaurs and many painted and bloody faces.
The fun of dressing up did not overshadow what was an opportunity for local agencies to be able to spread awareness around health, and in particular mental health.
Agencies from around the community were set up and handing out sweets and vital information around the topic of mental health.
Local police officers made their way around the CBD, handing out some sweets, ensuring everyone was safe and enjoying themselves.
The afternoon was a great success and was due in part to those who attended and helped make it what it was.
“Thank you to the amazing support from our businesses and thanks to our service providers who attended,” Deni MHAG member Lourene Liebenberg said.
“Thanks to the police who attended, supporting the event and engaging with young and old.
“Thanks to Rotary for a magnificent barbecue and thanks to our amazing sponsors who made this happen – their support made this a truly magical event for our families.”
Perceived as a ‘scary’ topic, the Halloween party aims to break down stigmas.
As such, the event has the name ‘Mental Health: It’s not as scary as you think’.
“Sharing the load early on when we are feeling stressed or worried can take the load off, and the counselling that can be provided can prevent the impact of the issues becoming bigger,” Mrs Liebenberg said.
She also spoke about the event working as a way of drawing attention to the MHAG website and its resources.
“Our resources and the events we hold all aim to direct traffic to our website, signposting the way to help.
“Every year we see an increase in the number of visits to our site during this event, and we are really encouraged that people are looking at the resources and learning more about what is available to look after our mental health and wellbeing.”
As well as all the dressing up, kids were also treated to a local trick or treating route, where local businesses would join in on the fun.
Store fronts were decoratively draped with webs, skeletons and ghosts, to set the scene.
Kids, parents and families strutted the spooky streets of Deniliquin’s CBD looking for treats.
After the young ones got finished with the trick or treating, they were all treated to a Zooper Dooper from the MHAG team at the Multi Arts Centre in the Waring Gardens.
• Anyone requiring crisis support can contact Accessline on 1800 800 944, Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14, BeyondBlue on 1300 224 636 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800. Resources and pathways to help are also available at www.denimentalhealth.org.au.
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