‘Hope Floats’ for mental health advocates on Long Beach Peninsula
Published 6:36 pm Sunday, May 11, 2025
A friendly whale, a child, a lighthouse and a rainbow. What more could anyone ask for on a decorative ornament by Patty Carson.
These sunflowers by Long Beach Mayor Sue Svendsen are on one of the fishing floats that can be won by the winner of the annual online auction for Peace of Mind Pacific County.
Sooz Laughlin designed this artistic float.
This colorful array can be had by bidding online. The artist is Stephanie Day.
The bees are hard at work on this hive ornament with pansies by Kathy Minish.
This mountain lake scene was designed by Patty Carson.
Pamela Thomure was the artist behind this duck ornament.
This colorfully decorated fishing float by Terri Staples featuring the Minions is one of the prizes in an online auction to raise funds for the mental health advocacy group Peace of Mind Pacific County.
LONG BEACH — An online auction is underway to raise funds for the all-volunteer mental health advocacy group Peace of Mind Pacific County.
The group is celebrating its 20th year serving the Long Beach Peninsula. It began as a local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and then became an independent group to afford more flexibility in providing grassroots services, said its president, Nikki Fortuna.
Artists have decorated fishing floats that are available for bidding online at https://Auctria.Events/HopeFloats4. The online auction ends 10 p.m. May 19.
They will be available for public viewing at a booth at the Wellness Walk at the Bolstad Avenue Beach Approach in Long Beach May 17. The walk starts at 10 a.m. from Bolstad and travels about three miles on the Discovery Trail from Bolstad north to Clark’s Tree and back. Informational booths for Peace of Mind’s community partners will be staffed. Leaders will offer details of its various free support groups on the Long Beach Peninsula.
These include:
• Senior men’s support group, 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. first and third Thursdays at Whalebone Cottage, 2101 Bay Ave., Ocean Park (intersection of U Street);
• Grief support, 11 a.m. to noon, first and third Saturdays, Whalebone Cottage, 2101 Bay Ave., Ocean Park;
• Mental health support with rotating leaders: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. first and third Wednesdays at Ocean Park Lutheran Church, 24002 U St., Ocean Park.
Suicide prevention is one focus of the advocacy group. Fortuna said there were 21 known suicides in Pacific County last year.
((Info box:))
For more details, or to contact:
http://www.pompc.org
or Facebook.com/peaceofmindpacificcounty
Email: info@pompc.org
Phone: (360) 642-3448
Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 708, Ocean Park, WA 98640.
