Birmingham’s Mayor, Randall Woodfin, has joined an initiative aimed at raising mental health awareness through the Ice Bucket Challenge, introduced by Longleaf Recovery and Wellness.

This campaign kicked off earlier in the spring and has attracted various public figures, including meteorologist James Spann and leaders from Longleaf, who are all participating to highlight the pressing mental health needs in Alabama. After accepting the challenge from Greenville’s Mayor Dexter McClendon in May, Spann nominated Woodfin during his own ice bucket moment at Longleaf’s Birmingham location.

Without any delay, Mayor Woodfin embraced the challenge, declaring his commitment to mental health awareness just before getting doused with ice water.

“Hi everyone, I’m Randall Woodfin, the Mayor of Birmingham. It’s an honor for me to raise awareness for mental health. This issue impacts our community, Birmingham, Alabama, and the country at large. We are working deliberately to bring more focus to mental health,” he said.

He expressed gratitude to Longleaf Recovery & Wellness for their frontline services and their contribution to mental health care.

“I want to extend my thanks to the Longleaf team for their dedication to supporting those dealing with mental health issues. I also want to recognize my friend Thomas Harris for his commitment to raising awareness in this area,” Woodfin added.

Continuing the chain of support for the challenge, Woodfin has also invited the latest recruitment class from the Birmingham Police Academy to participate.

“Let’s keep fighting to support those facing mental health challenges. We need to continue raising awareness and providing resources, especially here in Alabama,” he encouraged.