Joining forces with the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche, the Canadiens reiterate their commitment to build awareness among their fans about mental health, while also providing information on treatments available to aid in recovery.
Tonight, the Canadiens are dedicating their home game against the Carolina Hurricanes to the Hockey Talks program. Prior to the game, players' wives, along with Michel Mpambara, Stefie Shock, the Friends of Bell Let's Talk as well as the new faces of this year's campaign, will distribute bracelets in support of Bell Let's Talk Day, which will take place on January 31. A video message recorded by Jonathan Drouin, Charles Hudon and players from other participating teams will be shown on the scoreboard during the game to raise awareness on the importance of mental health. Patients from Fondation Jeunes en tête and the CHU Sainte-Justine will be honoured guests for the evening and will attend the game in the Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation's suites. Players will wear the Hockey Talks decal on the back of their helmets in support of the cause and will also engage conversion about mental health on social media.
JANUARY 31 IS BELL LET'S TALK DAY
Bell will donate 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for each of these interactions occurring on January 31, at no extra cost to participants:
Bell Let's Talk Day 2017 set all-new records with a total of 131,705,010 messages sent, growing Bell's funding for Canadian mental health by $6,585,250.50. #BellLetsTalk was Canada's top hashtag in 2017, and is now the most used Twitter hashtag ever in Canada. With approximately 729,065,654 interactions by Canadians over the last 7 Bell Let's Talk Days, Bell's total commitment to mental health, including an original $50-million anchor donation in 2010, has risen to $86,504,429.05. Bell expects its donation commitment to reach at least $100 million in 2020.
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS
One in five Canadians will personally suffer from mental illness at some point in their lifetime, and every Canadian will be affected indirectly through a family member, friend or colleague. One of the biggest hurdles for anyone suffering from mental illness is overcoming the stigma. It is the number one reason why two thirds of those living with a mental illness do not seek help. This is why we need to end stigma by choosing the right words, learning about the facts and myths surrounding mental illness, showing compassion and being a good listener and finally, by engaging the discussion with others.
