On a sunny and windy Sunday, April 27, hundreds of people attended the fourth annual Heads to Cleats Festival in Gloucester City originally scheduled but rained out on Saturday.
“I would like to begin by thanking everyone for being here and especially those involved with making the festival so successful – especially the Gloucester City Youth Soccer League,” said Nate’s Story founder Michele Kidd said during the opening ceremony.
She then presented awards to students for their beautiful artwork and poetry that will be placed along the fishing pier, including Gabby Alayo, Antonio Bermudez, Ave Colbert, Marshall Kidd, Georgia Brown, Ava O’Donnell, Charlie Sharp, Israhias Cintron-Rodriguez and Kelvin Camero-Vazquez.
“Connection with others and the life around me gives me the confidence to keep growing. Knowing that I will always have others to look up to and lift my spirits me motivation to go on,” wrote Alayo, who created a beautiful picture using the word connect.
Bemudez submitted a picture of self-love and wrote, “Whenever I feel self-doubt, stressed, etc., I always want to reach out to friends and family and be reminded of the love they gave me. It helps to remind myself that I have worth in this world, even if it’s small, it’s still something! That enough, makes it all worth it.”
Ave Colbert was honored for a beautiful picture of Nathaniel Kidd, a former Gloucester City High School football quarterback who tragically died by suicide.
“I formed the nonprofit Nate’s Story in memory of my son, Nathaniel,” Michele Kidd said. “I learned quickly that mental health was the root of such a major problem for so many and understanding and support is what so many were after.”
During an emotional award presentation, Kidd gave Gwen Herman a bouquet of flowers and said, “Every year Nate’s Story honors someone in the community for their outstanding dedication to contributing and promoting mental health awareness. This year’s recipient of the Keeptalking Award is Gwen, who loved my son when he was here and continues to honor him. She is at every event and has taken Nathaniel’s story all the way to the Quinton Township School District.”
After the awards Gloucester City Mayor and Council, along with NJ Assemblyman William Spearman and the Kidd family, dedicated the new Nathaniel Kidd Memorial Park along the Delaware River waterfront.
For the rest of the afternoon, people enjoyed live music and checked out the wares of arts and crafts vendors.
There was mental and physical health information at the booths line up along the path in Proprietors Park, including Emotions Anonymous and Sage Therapy Services, offering support groups and therapeutic services; the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention NJ, providing crucial information on suicide prevention; Green Compass and Camden County Mental Health and Addiction, educating on wellness products and community health services; and Renewal by Anderson and Street Tails Animal Rescue, showcasing community services and local non-profit efforts.
The organizers of the Head to Cleats Festival are already making plans for next year’s event, and continue to address the importance and mental and physical health all year long.
