One Shining Night for Mental Wellness

As National Mental Health Awareness Month draws to a close, Santa Barbara is finding a meaningful – and celebratory – way to keep the conversation going. The Mental Wellness Center’s inaugural Wellness Weekend, taking place May 30-31 at Alma Rosa Estate in the Santa Rita Hills, is designed not simply as a finale to the month’s awareness efforts, but as a reminder that mental health advocacy is a year-round commitment.

For 79 years, the Mental Wellness Center has provided free, bilingual mental health services throughout Santa Barbara County, supporting thousands of residents regardless of their ability to pay. This year’s Wellness Weekend expands that mission into a community-wide celebration featuring the One Shining Night gala on Saturday evening and the seventh annual Peace of Mind Walk on Sunday morning. Together, the events aim to raise both critical funding and public awareness around mental wellness. 

At the heart of the gala is a tribute to two local families whose advocacy and philanthropy have helped shape conversations around mental health in the region. Belle Hahn and Lily Hahn Shining will be honored along with three generations of the Kelly family, whose involvement with the Mental Wellness Center began with Karen Kelly’s helping coordinating volunteers for the organization.

What started as one woman’s dedication to service evolved into a multigenerational commitment to reducing stigma and increasing access to support. Karen’s children – triplets Charlotte, Dawson, and Patrick – each experienced their own struggles with anxiety and found purpose through advocacy. While attending San Marcos High School, the siblings became leaders in the school’s Connection Clubs, encouraging open, stigma-free discussions about mental health among their peers.

Today, those conversations continue on their respective college campuses at UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Cal Poly, where the Kelly siblings have carried their passion for mental health awareness into broader communities. Meanwhile, Karen’s mother, Judy Kelly, contributes through art, teaching participants at the Mental Wellness Center’s Fellowship Club how creative expression can foster healing and connection.

The family’s collective efforts embody the spirit of the Wellness Weekend itself: the belief that small acts of compassion can ripple outward and create lasting impact. Mental health challenges touch nearly every family in some form, yet stigma and silence often remain barriers to care. Events like One Shining Night and the Peace of Mind Walk seek to replace that silence with visibility, conversation, and community support.

“One Shining Night is more than a gala – it is a celebration of what this community has built together over nearly eight decades,” said Mental Wellness Center CEO Annmarie Cameron in a press release. “When we come together to honor families like the Hahns and the Kellys, we are affirming that mental health is not a crisis to be managed in silence but a cause worth championing out loud.”

The following morning, participants will gather once again at Alma Rosa Estate for the Peace of Mind Walk, a 4.5-mile trek across the winery’s scenic hillside property. Founded in 2020, the walk has grown into a beloved annual tradition centered on conversation, connection, and collective support for mental wellness initiatives.

Throughout May, businesses, nonprofits, and residents across Santa Barbara County have also been invited to “Light Up Green,” illuminating buildings and homes in the official color of mental health awareness as a visible sign of solidarity. While the initiative takes place nationwide during Mental Health Awareness Month, organizers note that nearly three-quarters of the registered participating buildings are located in Santa Barbara County – a reflection of the community’s especially strong commitment to mental wellness and advocacy. But while Mental Health Awareness Month may be ending, organizers hope the momentum created through Wellness Weekend continues long after May is over.

Because awareness is not a seasonal campaign: It is an ongoing process of listening, supporting, educating, and showing up for one another, every month of the year.