Yuma Mayor Declares March 11 M.I.K.I.D. Day to Honor Nonprofit

Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls announced on March 5, 2026 that March 11 will be observed as M.I.K.I.D. Day in the city, a proclamation that, according to local reporting, marks the organization’s 39th anniversary. KYMA/KECY reporter Paul Vozzella carried the announcement and quoted city and nonprofit officials in the coverage.

M.I.K.I.D., presented in reporting as M.I.K.I.D. (Mentally Ill Kids In Distress), is described as "Arizona's largest family-run behavioral health nonprofit." The organization works with families across Arizona to connect them with information, peer support, and mental health services and provides resources for young people experiencing depression, anxiety, ADHD, autism, and other mental health needs, the KYMA article stated.

Mayor Nicholls framed the proclamation as an effort to increase awareness of available services in family settings, saying, "A lot of times we get in those situations in our families and we don't know the resources available, and this is one way we can help get that information out." The mayor appears in local records under both "Doug Nicholls" in the March 5 news report and "Douglas Nicholls" on the City of Yuma website, which previously recorded a separate mayoral proclamation ending Yuma’s COVID-19 emergency on April 6, 2022 after Governor Doug Ducey ended the State emergency effective March 30, 2022 following Senate Bill 1309.

Sarah Acuna, identified in the KYMA piece as Yuma's M.I.K.I.D. direct service manager, said, "I'm hoping that it urges families to come and seek help if they need it." KYMA’s reporting added that local leaders and advocates hope the proclamation will encourage families who may be struggling to reach out for help, signaling the announcement’s immediate goal of driving awareness rather than announcing new funding or programs.

The proclamation in Yuma follows similar recognitions elsewhere in Arizona: the mayors of Kingman and Sierra Vista have also issued honorary proclamations recognizing M.I.K.I.D. and its work supporting youth mental health, the KYMA article noted. The March 11 designation will coincide with the nonprofit’s 39th anniversary and stands as a municipal acknowledgment aimed at connecting more families to mental health resources across Arizona.