A local rising hockey star will be taking part of an important community bike ride that will bring attention to mental health.
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Kelowna will team up with Myles Mattila for the annual Shoppers Drug Mart Ride Don’t Hide bike ride on June 21st. The 16-year-old is a mental health advocate and became involved when he discovered how much fear and misunderstanding exists about mental illness.
Mattila became the Northern BC representative for Mindcheck.ca, a website dedicated to providing mental health resources to young people, and was asked to tell his story at the Balancing Our Minds mental health summit in Rogers Arena this last February. Mattila recently moved from Prince George to Kelowna to join the Okanagan Rockets Major Midget Hockey Club and is proud to continue his work as a mental health advocate.
Myles Mattila will join the Ride Don't Hide event (Photo Credit: CMHA)
“Mental health affects everyone, no matter what age we are, and youth are no exception. In fact, oftentimes young people struggle to deal with the emotional and mental challenges that impact us on a daily basis,” says Mattila. “We can all try to make a difference, especially all the young people out there, and get involved by taking part in Ride Don’t Hide and pledging our support to show everyone that it’s OK to talk about mental illness.”
The Shoppers Drug Mart Ride Don’t Hide is a community bike ride taking place on June 21st (Father’s Day) in Kelowna, as well as 27 communities across Canada, to spread the word about mental health and reduce the discrimination and stigma around mental illness. The Kelowna event will begin at the Rotary Centre for the Arts and the ride will take place from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. The ride will include a 40 kilometre tour around Kelowna, or a seven kilometre route for families or beginners.
The ride is for fun and is open to cyclists of all ages and skill levels. Registration and donations can be made online at www.ridedonthide.com.
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