Hello all! We thought we should up-date you as to where we are in regard to the Andrew Dunn Memorial Walk/Run/Ride. We have not gone into hibernation for the winter!
We just got together for the first time on October 25th, 2008 to meet with interested individuals to form our annual fundraising event committees. This is a brand new step for Brenda and me. Up until now we have done all of the pre-walk preparations on our own. (OK Brenda has!) We could not have done it without the wonderful support of all of our awesome volunteers on the day of the walk and of course the tremendous turnouts we have had both in 2007 and 2008. We were able to raise over $13,500 in 2007 and over $16,000 last year on May 10th 2008 on Andrew’s 25th Birthday.
But we now know it is time to get some really talented and committed individuals together to help our “little” walk grow and blossom into a real recognized and enthusiastically anticipated annual event. It meant turning over the reins and being willing to let go a little, so it will be difficult, but we knew it was time, as the walk was starting to outgrow us!
We had 11 people attend our first meeting to get to know each other and share ideas on how we can make our event an even bigger success next year. It’s hard to believe how quickly the time flies by. May 9th 2009 will mark our 3rd annual walk! We now have 18 people on our committee contact list, including Mental Health Professionals, an Accountant, Self-Help organization staff members, the Springfield Kinsmen, a retired educator, individuals that have been touched by Mental Health Issues such as depression or suicide or are supporting family or friends that are dealing with their own recovery as well as family, friends and neighbours. We even have the comedian Big Daddy Tazz on board this year!!
Although this walk has Andrew’s name attached to it, we do want everyone to know that our main objective is to help “Make a Difference” for those individuals “living” with Mental Health Issues, educate the public and help to eliminate the issue of “stigma”, which stops so many people from coming forward to get the help they need. Depression is an “illness”, not a personal flaw or weakness. It is a very complicated illness that does not discriminate…no matter your age, gender, race, religious beliefs, social status, education, or physical health. Depression can ruin people’s finances, careers and relationships, if not dealt with honestly and seriously. It can tear families apart and if left untreated or not accepted as a real problem, it can be DEADLY.
- WORLDWIDE there is a SUICIDE every 40 SECONDS
- 2% of ALL DEATHS are by SUICIDE
- Between 3,500 & 4,000 Canadians of all ages and from all walks of life die by SUICIDE each year
- 22% of ALL DEATHS among those aged 15 - 24 are due to SUICIDE
- 16% of ALL DEATHS among those aged 25 - 44 are due to SUICIDE
- Health Canada reports that 13.4% of Canadians over 15 yrs. have thought seriously about SUICIDE
Mental Illnesses such as Depression can only be dealt with successfully with recognition of the illness and accepting that “it is in fact a real illness” and securing good knowledgeable medical and professional assistance and having good, understanding personal supports either in the way of family and friends or even through peer support groups as well as in many cases therapy works well to help with recovery.
- In Canada, ONE PERSON IN FIVE will experience some problem with their Mental Health in the course of a year
- In Canada, ONE PERSON IN THREE will experience a Mental Health problem in their lifetime
So as you can see from the eye opening statistics above, we do need to carry on with our passion for the cause and would love it if there are others out there who may have known Andrew or know of someone near and dear to them fighting to win this battle against Depression or is recovering from a Mental Health Issue of their own that feels that they can contribute something big or small to our awareness and fundraising efforts, be it by joining one of our committees, a monetary donation, or even sharing some new fundraising ideas with us, please contact either Brenda or myself at the contacts listed below.
