SACRAMENTO, Calif., May 18, 2015 — May is a busy month for Dr. Robin Zasio. Aside from taping the new season of Lifetime Network’s “Hoarders” series, premiering May 28, Zasio, is also organizing the second annual 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk in Sacramento.
The 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk, co-sponsored by the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) and OCD Sacramento, will take place June 6, 2015, at Southside Park in Downtown Sacramento in an effort to raise awareness about OCD and related disorders (including hoarding) and to break the stigma around mental health.
Hoarding disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are two terms used trivially in pop culture, but the truth is that these disorders can have devastating effects on families, as viewers of the show Hoarders have likely seen.
“As a therapist, I see firsthand the toll these disorders can take on lives,” says Dr. Zasio, president of OCD Sacramento. “The 1 Million Steps Walk is a way for people to come together in the community to let others know that there is hope, to encourage each other and to promote awareness.”
This walk in Sacramento coincides with two other walks also happening on June 6th in Boston, MA and Atlanta, GA, in addition to many smaller grassroots walks around the country. The walks are all part of the IOCDF’s 1 Million Steps 4 OCD campaign, an effort to raise awareness about OCD and break the stigma surrounding mental illness.
“The 1 Million 4 OCD Walk is as much about raising awareness as it is about raising funds,” explains Jeff Smith, the IOCDF director of development. “By walking together as a community, we make a powerful statement about our shared commitment to help people living with OCD.”
This year’s Walk grand marshal is Scott Granet. Granet is a clinical social worker based in northern California who has taught and presented extensively on OCD and related disorders, including body dysmorphic disorder. He is also the founder of OCD Bay Area, an affiliate of the IOCDF.
Anyone interested in joining the IOCDF and OCD Sacramento for the 1 Million Steps for OCD Walk in Sacramento on June 6 can visit www.iocdf.org/walkNorCal to learn more.
#######
About the International OCD Foundation
The International OCD Foundation is a donor-supported nonprofit organization, working to increase access to effective treatment, end the stigma associated with mental health issues, and foster a community for those affected by OCD and the professionals who treat them. Based in Boston, the IOCDF has affiliates in 25 states and territories, as well as 9 Global Partners. The IOCDF was founded as the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation in 1986. Now in its 27th year, the organization has an over $1.5 million annual operating budget, has granted millions of dollars for OCD research, and is a vital resource for the estimated 1 in 100 individuals with OCD around the world. For more information, visit http://iocdf.org.
About OCD Sacramento
The OCD Sacramento Foundation, Inc., an affiliate of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), was established in 2010 and is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources and raising awareness, either for those affected by, or interested in learning more about obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders in the Greater Sacramento and Northern California regions.
For more information, contact:
Jeff Smith,
IOCDF Director of Development
Phone: 617-973-5801
Email: jsmith @ iocdf.org