When: Saturday, May 25th, 2013

Where: Royal Oak (800 Hunt Club, Ottawa  ON)

Time: 1:00pm – 10:00pm

There are many great ways in which you can help support D.I.F.D. and youth mental health. Please see below for a list of activities and timing:

Carwash: 1PM – 4PM
Silent Auction: 1PM – 8PM
BBQ: 2PM until sold out
Cupcake Sale: 2PM until sold out
Live Music: 2PM – 10PM

www.youtube.com/watch?v=va-KBe3vKIw

www.youtube.com/watch?v=73HyuvaFWT8

BY JOANNE LAUCIUS, OTTAWA CITIZEN

OTTAWA — Six-time Olympic medal winner Clara Hughes is known for her infectious trademark smile. Two years ago, she started to talk about her struggle with depression to tackle the stigma of mental illness.

Hughes, who holds the rare distinction of mounting the podium both in the summer Olympics for cycling and in the winter for speedskating, announced Thursday that she will take to the roads on her bicycle next spring and early summer to talk to Canadians from coast to coast about mental health.

“I can’t think of a better way to meet people,” she said.

The journey, dubbed Clara’s Big Ride, will start in Toronto and take her west to Vancouver. There will be a few legs of the journey in the Far North before Hughes takes to the road again in St. John’s, NL., and cycles west to Ottawa, arriving on Canada Day 2014.

The idea for the project came to Hughes when she was hiking with her husband Peter Guzman in California and contemplating her post-Olympic life. She took the idea to Bell, where she is a spokeswoman for the annual Let’s Talk Day.

“To me, movement is medicine,” said Hughes. “I can’t walk across Canada, but I can bike. I really believe we are ready to change things.”

Three years ago, Bell Canada announced that it had committed $50 million to mental health, and donated five cents for every text and long-distance call made by Bell and Bell Alliant customers on Let’s Talk Day and every tweet and Facebook share of the Let’s Talk message. Let’s Talk Day was Feb. 12 this year, and Bell added $4.8 million to the cause.

At a press conference Thursday at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, Hughes said she wanted to share with Canadians that they are not alone — and she believes this is the most important work she will do in her life. More than one in five Canadians will struggle with mental health in their lifetimes, and two out of three won’t seek help.

In November 2010, the suicide of 14-year-old Daron Richardson, the daughter of then-Ottawa Senators assistant coach Luke Richardson, shocked Ottawa and galvanized a grassroots youth mental health movement called Do It For Daron, or DIFD.

Olivia Zed, a Grade 12 student at Ashbury College, where Daron had been a student, was co-chair of a Monte Carlo night that raised $21,000 for DIFD.

“I think the conversation has changed,” she says. “It makes it easier for people with mental illness.

Daron’s mother, Stephanie Richardson, said she received an email from a university student who traced her own depression back to her first year of high school, but was finally seeing a light at the end of her tunnel. The young woman compared it to getting used to living without light, said Richardson.

“You can only tread water for so long before you slip below the surface.”

Hughes said depression is something she will have to live with for the rest of her life.

Her work for mental health over the past two years has shown her that things are happening when it comes to easing the stigma of mental health. People stop her on the street and want to talk about it. Even her mother, who lives in Winnipeg, says her friends have talked about depression.

See photos.

Alain Gonthier was a runner in the Boston Marathon and as a part of his run, he decided to raise pledges for DIFD youth mental health awareness. He surpassed his fundraising goal and was able to raise $3505 for DIFD! Here’s his message:

As I indicated as part my fundraising message, I wanted running my first Boston Marathon to be more than just a personal accomplishment. And that it was!

Unfortunately, the act of terror that took place on innocent people made the accomplishment of running the marathon of little importance. It is true that running a marathon requires dedication, discipline and perseverance. But it also requires support of family and friends. It is that support that makes the marathon what it is, especially Boston where people almost line the entire length of the course in support of the runners. Without them, it simply would not be the same. That is why the events that took place are so senseless and horrific. What is usually a celebration of great accomplishments turned into pain and suffering for many innocent people that were simply there to support someone in their quest to conquer the iconic marathon.

These tragic events have scared our memories of what to that point had been a celebration.

Those events however, do not change the overwhelming support received through the fundraising for youth mental health. This cause has truly touched many people. And through the entire race, I felt the support from everyone as I had a level of energy that day that I have never had in previous marathons.

Life teaches us many lessons, including some that are difficult to comprehend. It also teaches us not to turn our backs in the face of adversity and to make a right stronger than a wrong. This has been an unforgettable experience for the whole family, but one that remains incomplete. We are committed to going back next year for the 2014 Boston Marathon (as I was quick enough to re-qualify!). To pass on that opportunity would be to let the wrong dictate our resolve.

Thank you for your support and for supporting youth mental health!

Alain

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Alain Gonthier était un coureur dans le Marathon a Boston une partie des fons ramasser on était remis a la fondation de DIFD. Il a surpassé sont but de remasser $2620 et sont totale finale ramasser était de $3505. Voici son message:

Je voulais que mon premier marathon à Boston représente plus qu’une grande réussite personnelle (comme je l’indiquai dans mon message de levées de fonds). C’est exactement ce qui est arrivé!

Malheureusement, l’acte de terrorisme qui a frappé de simples passants a diminué l’effet de la réussite d’avoir couru ce marathon.

Pour courir un marathon, il faut être dédié, discipliné, et persévérant. Ceci dit, cela requiert l’appui de la famille et des amis. C’est cet appui qui rend un marathon l’événement qu’il est. Cela est particulièrement vrai pour celui de Boston: tout le long du parcours de la course, il y a des milliers de gens qui encouragent les coureurs. Sans eux, cela ne serait pas du tout pareil. C’est la raison pour laquelle les événements survenus sont si insensés et horribles. Ce qui est généralement une fête liée à une grande réussite s’est mutée en souffrance et douleur pour des gens qui ne faisaient d’appuyer un être cher dans leur quête de conquérir ce marathon iconique.

Ces moments tragiques sont à jamais gravés dans notre mémoire, au lieu d’avoir été un temps de réjouissance.

Heureusement, ces moments ne changent aucunement le succès des dons reçus pour la levées de fonds pour la santé mentale des jeunes, cause qui a touchée plusieurs personnes. C’est plus que la levée de fonds: tout au long de ma course, j’ai ressenti l’appui de chacun de vous car j’ai eu plus d’énergie ce jour-là que j’en avais jamais eu dans d’autres marathons.

La Vie nous offre plusieurs leçons, mêmes lorsqu’elles sont difficiles à comprendre. Elle nous apprend aussi à garder la tête haute face à l’adversité: de faire le bien pour qu’il soit plus grand que le mal. Notre petite famille se souviendra toujours de cette expérience qui reste en quelque sorte incomplète. Nous sommes donc engagés à y retourner l’an prochain pour le marathon de Boston en 2014 (j’ai réussi à courir assez vite pour me requalifier!). Si nous passons à côté de cette possibilité, cela serait comme laisser un mal enlever notre résolution.

Merci pour votre appui et d’avoir appuyé la santé mentale des jeunes!

Alain

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYNaXYR0MSw