Hundreds of people gathered in Kelowna for the Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Ride on Sunday, raising more than $100,000 for the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) locally.
The charity walk and ride is one of dozens of similar Ride Don’t Hide events taking place around the country on Sunday. Events also took place in Vernon and Penticton to benefit the CMHA.
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Participants aim not only to raise money for mental health initiatives but also to take a stand against stigma.
“I work with a lot of people who have mental health issues, addictions issues, and I think that it is really important that we stop keeping mental health issues in the closet,” said participant Kathleen Alexander.
Fellow rider Gill Hayward said her experience working in the school system with kids who struggle and need mental health support inspired her to take part.
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“It is just so important that everyone has access to mental well-being,” she said.
It’s a cause that hits close to home for many.
The Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Ride is named after the sons of Okanagan philanthropist Tom Budd who both died by suicide in their teens.
The tragedies have turned Budd into a mental health advocate.
“If I can survive what I did, I am thinking that most people can get through what they’re getting through, if they just have hope and they have faith and they have friends and they’re willing to share their feelings with their friends,” Budd said in an interview with Global Okanagan earlier this year.
“They have to talk about what they’re really thinking about and what they’re really feeling, and that’s the first step.”
In Vernon, the CMHA said funds raised by this year’s Ride Don’t Hide event will be used for programs aimed at preventing suicide and helping youth, including a local 24/7 crisis line and a program for kids whose parents live with mental illness.
Where to get help
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, Depression Hurts and Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 all offer ways of getting help if you, or someone you know, may be suffering from mental health issues.
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