路 11 Atlantic University Sport member universities and their 2,200 student-athletes team up to support mental health on Bell Let鈥檚 Talk Day, January 27
路 4 Atlantic University Sport men鈥檚 hockey games in 3 provinces to host Bell Let鈥檚 Talk events
路 Student-athletes from all 11 campuses featured in a special video sharing their own mental health stories
Atlantic University Sport (AUS) and Bell Aliant have joined forces for the sixth annual Bell Let鈥檚 Talk Day on January 27. Everyone is invited to join the conversation with 2,200 student-athletes from 11 Atlantic universities to help end the stigma around mental illness.
鈥淏y partnering with Atlantic University Sport, Bell Let鈥檚 Talk is reaching student-athletes all across Atlantic Canada to encourage conversations about mental health,鈥� said Dan McKeen, Bell Senior Vice President and Vice Chair, Atlantic. 鈥淚ncreasing awareness and improving attitudes about mental health is the key to reducing the stigma around mental illness that keeps so many from seeking the help they need.鈥�
This sentiment is shared by UPEI Panthers men鈥檚 soccer coach, Lewis Page: 鈥淪tepping out of the silence and talking about mental health is so important in fighting stigma. The Bell Let鈥檚 Talk campaign lets student-athletes and coaches know that it鈥檚 ok to reach out and talk, it鈥檚 ok to ask for help, and it鈥檚 ok to help others.鈥�
鈥淲hile competition and rivalry is the nature of sport, Bell Let鈥檚 Talk Day is a great opportunity for all our schools and teams to come together in support of mental health,鈥� said AUS executive director Phil Currie. 鈥淭he slogan we developed with Bell Aliant for this partnership is 鈥極ne Team For Mental Health鈥� and that really encompasses what we鈥檙e doing.鈥�
Mental illness is an issue that hits home for many students and their peers with suicide accounting for 24 per cent of all deaths among 15-24 year olds.
Bell Let鈥檚 Talk Day AUS men鈥檚 hockey games
With 4 AUS men鈥檚 hockey games taking place in 3 provinces on Bell Let鈥檚 Talk Day, fans around the conference are invited to come out and show their support on January 27.
The first few hundred fans at each game will receive a Bell Let鈥檚 Talk toque. Stations will be set up at each venue where fans can participate by creating personalized speech bubbles, taking photos to share on social media and signing banners to show their support.
Bell Let鈥檚 Talk spokesperson and well-known entertainer Mary Walsh will take part in a ceremonial puck drop at the Saint Mary鈥檚 and Dalhousie game hosted at the Halifax Forum.
路 Saint Mary鈥檚 Huskies visit the Dalhousie Tigers at the Halifax Forum at 7 pm.
路 The StFX X-Men visit the Acadia Axemen in Wolfville at 7 pm.
路 Moncton Aigles Bleus visit the UPEI Panthers in Charlottetown at 7 pm.
路 The St. Thomas Tommies visit the UNB Varsity Reds in Fredericton at 7 pm.
鈥淭he hockey games on Bell Let鈥檚 Talk Day will let all students who struggle with mental illness hear loud and clear that they have our support and can always ask for help,鈥� said Luke Madill, captain of the Dalhousie Tigers men's hockey team.
AUS mental health video
Student-athletes from all 11 campuses have stepped forward to share their personal experiences with mental illness in a video which will be viewed conference-wide starting January 18 on the .
鈥淭he AUS video delivers a powerful message that athletes experience mental health issues like anxiety and depression like everyone else,鈥� said Hannah Currie, member of the UNB Varsity Reds women鈥檚 basketball team. 鈥淗opefully hearing athletes speak out about mental health will give others courage to open up and reach out for help without fear.鈥�
Dr. Karen Murphy, Memorial University athletic director, agrees: 鈥淚t鈥檚 fantastic to see student鈥揳thletes come together to support all students on our respective campuses. This initiative is starting important conversations about mental health in classrooms, residences and sport facilities on campuses across the Atlantic provinces.鈥�
Join the conversation to drive mental health funding
On Bell Let's Talk Day, for every text message, wireless and long distance call made by Bell Aliant and Bell Canada customers, every tweet using #BellLetsTalk, and every Facebook share of the Bell Let's Talk Day image at , Bell will donate 5 cents more to mental health programs. After the first 5 Bell Let鈥檚 Talk Days, Bell has committed a total of $73,623,413.80 to support mental health initiatives across the country.
Bell Let's Talk promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns, like Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk and Bell Let's Talk Day, and significant Bell funding of care and access, research, and workplace initiatives. To learn more, please visit .
Media Contacts:
Phil Currie
Executive Director
Atlantic University Sport
902-425-4235
pcurrie@atlanticuniversitysport.com
Katie Burgess
Bell Aliant
902-487-6198
katie.burgess@bellaliant.ca