West Texas Centers for MHMR celebrates May as Mental Health Awareness Month, bringing attention to mental health with a special emphasis on Children’s Mental Health Week, said Shelley Smith, West Texas Centers for MHMR CEO.

The art contest invited children ages 3 through 12 to create an 8 x 11-½-sized piece of artwork centered on the theme: “Take A Stand, Lend A Hand.”

The theme represents the movement underway to stop bullying, Smith said. “This is a huge problem in our communities. Art is such a powerful way for children and adults to express their feelings and emotions.

“We thought this would be a good way to call attention to this problem in a way that the children could enjoy and take some ownership in and be excited to come to their Center.”

All entries were hung in each of the 15 mental health centers in the region.

Four winners and four runners-up were chosen from each region served by West Texas Centers for MHMR. Each winner will receive a $50 Wal-Mart gift card; the four runners-up will receive $25 gift cards.

Each Mental Health Center also will celebrate “Hats Off to our Patients Day.” Each center also will pick a day during the month for employees to wear a hat of his or her choice. A small banner will be displayed in each clinic on that day that says “Hats off to our Clients.”

“This is another way for us to put all our attention on our patients and let them know that we exist for them,” Smith said.

Hats Off to our Patients Day Celebrations in Howard, Ward and Garza counties will take place Friday, May 15, throughout the day at the county’s Mental Health Centers.

West Texas Centers for MHMR serves more than 2,000 people a month with mental illness or mental retardation in a 23-county area in rural West Texas.