AUBURN, ALA. – It’s that time of year again! The sisters of the Zeta Xi chapter of Alpha Xi Delta would like to invite the community to the 3rd annual Step It Up Auburn Walk and 5k benefitting Autism Speaks.

The event will be held at the Ogletree Shopping Center on Sunday, Oct. 28. Registration will begin at 11 a.m. with the 5k scheduled to start at 1 p.m.  Those wishing to pre-register can do so online at www.stepitupauburn.com. The registration fee is $10, which includes a t-shirt for participants registered by October 15. Kids 5 and under can participate for free.

The Opening Ceremonies will begin at 12:30 p.m., with special appearances by Miss Auburn, Auburn SGA president Owen Parrish, several Miss Homecoming candidates and representatives from Mud Mania. There will also be a kids’ zone with games, face painting and a bounce house.

One in four adults will experience a mental health problem in any given year, and more than one in 17 live with a serious, chronic mental illness. The Alabama Department of Mental Health is joining efforts nationwide to celebrate Mental Illness Awareness Week, sponsored annually by The National Alliance on Mental Illness. The observance, which has been in existence for more than 20 years, seeks to increase awareness about mental illnesses and reduce stigma. This year’s MIAW is being observed nationwide October 7-13.

The Alabama Department of Mental Health serves more than 100,000 Alabamians with mental illnesses each year. More than 97 percent of those individuals are experiencing recovery and living in the community. ADMH and other groups also work to decrease stigma surrounding mental illnesses through various public education efforts. This year, several NAMI Alabama affiliates are hosting a variety of events during MIAW.

The Auburn Police Division (APD) is hosting a Prescription Drug Take Back Day from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 29 at Our Home Pharmacy located at 2320 Moores Mill Road, Suite 100 in Auburn.

This Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) program is being coordinated and sponsored by Auburn University’s Harrison School of Pharmacy. APD officers and Opelika Police Department officers will be stationed in the parking lot of Our Home Pharmacy to collect unneeded prescription drugs turned in by the public.

Participants need only to simply drive up and turn over prescription drugs to an officer. The exchange must be from a citizen to a law enforcement officer per DEA guidelines.