How to Get Involved with CAMH’s One Brave Night for Mental Health

End stigma and fill the lives of those living with mental illness with just a bit more hope.

CAMH One Brave Night for Mental Health, people holding hands before the sunrisephoto credit: istock

We all have mental health — that’s just a fact

But some of us struggle more than others with illnesses like depression, anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Borderline Personality Disorder and more. So once again this year, CAMH (Centre for Addictions and Mental Health in Toronto) is hosting it’s One Brave Night fundraiser on April 6, 2018 to raise money (for life-saving research and treatment at Canada’s largest mental health facility, CAMH) and awareness for Canadians living with addiction and mental illness.

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If ending stigma and supporting the one in five Canadians who face mental illness each year seems like a worthy cause (um, yeah!!!), there are a few things you can do.

1. Register and fundraise for CAMH

You can sign up as an individual or a team at onebravenight.ca and ask friends, coworkers and family members to sponsor you to stay awake all night long on April 6 (then plan a fun party, movie night or yoga sesh to keep from drifting off). One example: Writer and musician Shael Risman has pledged to play piano all night long in honour of his brother, Carey, who died in 1996 after struggling with serious mental illness for many years.

2. Get active on social media

Share your #OneBraveSelfie on social media or the song that gets you through tough times with #OneBravePlaylist. The songs shared will create a Spotify playlist for One Brave Night. (If you’re not tearing up at the thought of hundreds or thousands of Canadians listening to a “you can make it through” playlist all night, we just don’t know what to do with you.)

3. Sign up for a day of self-care (and donate if you can)

The day starts at 8:30am with a charity sweat session at Myodetox. At noon, there’s a midday meditation hosted by The Quiet Company (at The Attic at 318 Queen Street West). Then at 7pm at Free Space, there will be an evening of games, screenings and an open mic with speakers chatting about mental health. Visit eventbrite.ca to sign up for the by-donation event.

4. Shop, eat and drink!

Many west-end Toronto businesses will donate partial proceeds of their sales to the cause. Here’s the full list.

Parlour Salon – Donating 50% of the sales of their new Fusionplex treatments from April 2 to April 6

Tiger of Sweden – Donating 10% of all sales from April 7 and 8 when shoppers mention their support for CAMH at cash

Jimmy’s Coffee (Ossington) – Donating 50% of drip coffee sales on April 6

Calii Love – Donating 50% of sales from their coffees sold on April 6

Crywolf – Hosting a late night shopping event from 6pm to 9pm on April 6 offering goodie bags and will have a donation jar to support the campaign, plus will be donating a portion of their sales on posters and small accessories

Bang Bang Ice Cream – Donating all sales from their “overbaked” cookies on April 6

Ollie Quinn – Hosting an Instagram contest for One Brave Night participants for a chance to win a pair of non-prescription sunglasses or single vision prescription optical glasses and will have a donation jar at cash on April 6

Lululemon – Hosting yoga classes on April 6 at The Attic on Queen Street West from 5:30pm to 6:30pm and from 7:30pm to 8:30pm at The Local on Ossington, where participants can make cash donations to CAMH in class

Tonic Blooms – Donating 25% of sales from April 6

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