Ride Don’t Hide was Record-Breaking Raising over $1.5 Million for Mental Health Across Canada
405 Windsor-Essex riders take part in Canada’s largest mental health bike ride, breaking down stigma and building a community of hope. 6,700 mental health supporters took part nationally in the Canadian Mental Health Association’s (CMHA) Ride Don’t Hide charity bike ride Sunday, June 25 raising over $1.5 million for mental health programs and services.
In Windsor-Essex 405 riders raised $70,000 for local community mental health programs. The Ride has continued to grow in popularity since it started in Windsor in 2014 with 170 riders.
Celebrating its sixth anniversary, Ride Don’t Hide took place in 30 communities throughout the country, from Newfoundland to British Columbia, making it Canada’s largest community bike ride for mental health. All funds raised through the events go toward CMHA’s mental health programs within the local communities.
“It is so inspiring to see Canadians coming out in the thousands to support mental health in their communities,” said Dr. Patrick Smith, national CMHA CEO. “We’ve already raised more for mental health than last year’s record and we are well on our way to meeting our goal of $1.7 million.”
There’s still plenty of time to contribute to the cause and help Ride Don’t Hide reach its national target with online donations being accepted until July 31 online.
Ride Don’t Hide ambassadors including Olympians Gillian Carleton, Anastasia Bucsis and Noelle Montcalm, ex-NHL player Curtis Sanford, and actors Andy Jones and Mary-Lynn Bernard championed their local rides – many bringing their own personal mental health story to the event.
The 2017 Ride Champion for the Windsor-Essex Ride is Olympian Noelle Montcalm
“The Ride Don’t Hide movement is all about coming out and riding to banish the stigma around mental illness,” said Montcalm. There is still a journey ahead of us, but days like this make me feel that the shadows are starting to dissipate. We need to keep mental health at the forefront, not just today, every day.”
For national ambassador and ride founder Michael Schratter, the groundswell of support for Ride Don’t Hide has been a dream come true.
“Ride Don’t Hide for me has always been about empowering others to come out of the dark,” says Michael, Ride Don’t Hide national ambassador. “Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined Ride Don’t Hide would be what it is today. To see these 6,700 people come out and ride, and show each other there’s nothing to be ashamed of, that’s what Ride Don’t Hide is all about.”
In any given year, one in five, or approximately seven million Canadians, experience a mental health problem or illness, but only one-third will seek help – often due to the discrimination and stigma around mental illness.
The tremendous growth of Ride Don’t Hide in just 6 years – from 560 riders in 2 BC events in 2012 to thousands across 6 provinces this year – demonstrates an appetite for change. The recent 3rd Annual Canadian Mental Health Check-Up by Ipsos Public Affairs found that almost half (48%) of those surveyed reported being more comfortable talking about mental health issues compared to two years ago.
Furthermore, the proportion of Canadians who say they have talked with someone about mental health continues to increase with 42% saying they opened up to someone (most likely a friend, family member or a family doctor) about their mental health in the past year. This is up 7% from last year.
CMHA is still accepting donations online or through its local branches. Contact 1-800-555-8222 for more information.
