Walt's Waltz

02/17/2026

A real Hero!

02/14/2026

02/14/2026

02/11/2026

So grateful for our MSW intern, Ashlee from Liberty University. Today was one of those great days.
We had two students join us one hour early and Ashlee, stepped up and taught the class! While she was teaching others joined in. Then held a second class! It was our first program at Spartanburg Community College! Laura, our MSW intern from Winthrop University was working at our table. It was Wellness Week!
I have driven by this school so often always thinking we would love to be partners with Spartanburg Community College and today we were there!!!!

02/10/2026

Spartanburg Art Museum is Walt's Waltz Stigma-Free Environment. When you enter, you can feel their warmth and care, a truly safe space.
Their Gayla is almost here!
We hope you can make it!

The Spartanburg Art Museum 1907 Speakeasy Gala is this week! Get your tickets now!

Whether you are a Flapper Girl or an Oliver Twist, dress dapper and join us February 12th from 6-9 pm at the Chapman Cultural Center for the throwback bash of the year!

This Gatsby-style Speakeasy will be the cat's pajamas! H***h at the open bar is graciously provided by The Beerded Cork and we are serving delectable delights from Blue Moon Specialty Foods!

Feel like doing the Charleston or rolling the dice? Cut a rug to live music from the University of South Carolina Upstate Jazz Band and try your hand at casino style games!

We will also hold a silent auction during the event if that's more your jam. SAM's auction will feature works from some of the area and region''s most jivin' artists! SAM will also auction off paintings completed live by talented Spartanburg artists and Genevieve Leaman Strickland during the shindig!

All ticket proceeds support the Spartanburg Art Museum's incredible exhibitions, our art school programming, and our free arts outreach to schools and community groups.

SAM does not charge admission, so your donations and ticket sales go directly to supporting the museum's exhibitions and educational programming. So, come have a roaring good time with us while supporting the arts! Thank you for your support and we cannot wait to see you there!

Event details and QR code for tickets below! You can also purchase tickets by visiting: https://spartanburgartmuseum.org/product/1907-annual-gala/

02/09/2026

02/06/2026

This was at the very beginning. It was an event filled with big celebrities. Flashing cameras. And there I was in a homemade T-shirt, hoping maybe, just maybe, someone would see me. I kept thinking, if one person asks, if one person listens. I literally walked the event with my dear friend Kelly, who was serving on our board at the time, passing out information about this brand-new nonprofit we had just formed. No booth. No sponsors. No strategy. Just heartbreak and hope. I was raw. A teacher my entire life, trying to figure out how to build something that could end stigma, reduce suffering, and empower those living with mental health struggles. Two days after losing Walt, I kept hearing Will’s voice: “Mom, we will start a movement. If we save one life…” Walt's was there too, "Mom, can you hear it? 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3." The Waltz his favorte rhythm. That rhythm carried me when I did not know what I was doing. I have stumbled. I have learned in public. I have questioned myself. But I have never stopped. Education. Equity. Stigma-Free. Three steps. Like a waltz. Six years later, we are still here. Still dancing. Still believing. This week we hired our first full-time staff member. From a homemade T-shirt at a celebrity event to a growing team rooted in community. We model our work after Walt. He was, no he is a light. He made people feel seen. That is still our guide. We are Walt’s Waltz. Let’s stop dancing around mental health conversations. Our hand is outstretched in hope. Will you join our dance? 1, 2, 3.

Susan Crooks Just Say Something Climb at Blue Ridge American Foundation for Su***de Prevention Susan Crooks Chris and Kelly's HOPE Foundation Unity Health on Main GVLtoday American Foundation for Su***de Prevention Greenville Center for Creative Arts University of South Carolina Upstate Carolina Literacy Project Gene Xcellence The Phillis Wheatley Community Center Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery Spartanburg Regional

02/05/2026

Mark your calendars! Walt's Waltz is excited to deliver Painting Workshops at this event as well! All participants will receive a Self-Care Kit! Check it out! https://www.waltswaltz.com/painting-mental-health-workshop-1
We can't wait to see you!

GVLtoday

02/03/2026

Walt’s Waltz was honored to be one part of this year’s Unity Weekend. On Monday, January 19, we helped create space for healing and connection through creative expression.

Thanks to a grant from the Reedy River Rotary Club, guests chose to paint emotions, wellbeing strategies, and our almost-famous butterfly mascot. Painting participants received a Walt’s Waltz Self-Care Kit to continue supporting their wellbeing at home.

Community Cookbook activities, made possible by Milliken, invited children through adults to discuss and write responses to guided questions about food, traditions, and connection. The diversity of stories, cultures, and food traditions shared was one of the parts people enjoyed most. Participants received aprons, cookbooks, markers, and self-care response pins as reminders of the experience.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, the day centered on unity, reflection, and caring for one another. We’re grateful to have contributed alongside many partners working to strengthen our community.

Interested in bringing these programs to your group? Contact us: hello@waltswaltz.com

Susan Crooks

02/02/2026