Apex hosts MARCH 1000 to spotlight men's mental health

Apex’s second MARCH 1000 put a hard question at the center of the morning: why do so many men wait until stress, depression or another mental health struggle gets worse before they speak up?

The answer, organizers suggested, is tangled up in stigma, self-reliance and the habit of handling pain in private. The Saturday gathering at the Apex Town Hall Campus brought together more than 1,000 men for speakers, free food and other activities, with Mayor Jacques Gilbert describing the event as a chance to show up for one another and break the silence around mental health challenges.

The town’s decision to make the event public, free and local gave the message extra weight in a fast-growing Wake County community where work pressure and family responsibilities can leave little room for asking for help early. Rather than treating mental health as something to discuss only in crisis, Apex framed the march as a visible, communal check-in, one meant to normalize conversation before a problem becomes an emergency.

Gilbert, who is serving a 2023-2027 term and previously retired as a captain with the Apex Police Department, has made community engagement a visible part of his time in office. His “In the Community” town hall series began in 2025, and the MARCH 1000 fit that broader approach by turning a public event into a direct outreach effort.

The town already has another built-in resource for residents who need support. Apex’s Crisis & Advocacy Response Team, known as CART, connects people with mental health or substance misuse help. A community member can call the non-emergency number for a referral or walk into the Apex Police Department and ask to speak with the crisis counselor or a CART member.

The local push comes as wider state and national data continue to show the cost of delay. The UNC Men’s Health Program and Carolina Demography released North Carolina’s first Men’s Health Report Card in 2024 to highlight disparities affecting men. Nationally, the National Institute of Mental Health says men are less likely than women to have received mental health treatment in the past year, and men are more likely to die by suicide. The agency also notes that earlier treatment can be more effective.

For men in Apex and across Wake County, that makes the next step clear. If someone is struggling, help is available now through CART, the Apex Police Department and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.