On the weekend of August 17th, Gavin Hammond and Scott Turnbull rode their bikes around Lake Rosseau 10 times in support of MiND-AID, a local charity that provides mental health help for youth in Muskoka. Starting on the morning of Friday, August 16th at 6 a.m., Hammond and Turnbull rode around the lake until sunset the next day, totalling 658 kilometres and 10,000 meters of elevation gain which is more than a Mt. Everest of climbing.
This undertaking was all in support of MiND-AID, a registered charity addressing a huge and growing need in the community. Young people face several barriers when trying to access help in Muskoka, often only receiving care through a hospital ER once they’ve reached a crisis point. MiND-AID staff and volunteers provides navigation assistance and support to young people and their families who are looking for help on their journey to mental wellness.
Through the Canada Helps fundraising site, over 160 individual donors gave a combined $38,629 to MiND-AID. Most of the donations came from individuals, but the total was greatly increased by the generosity of a number of local businesses and groups including Muskoka Lumber, Bask Insulation, McNair Electric, Mazenga Building Group, Northpoint Custom Homes, Propeller Fine Homes, Tamarack North, Coulson Brothers, Little Black Bow, Golden Pines Painting, Muskoka Custom Building, Kelly Project Management, The Dads of Muskoka, and the Andy Potts Memorial Foundation.
As many as one in five children and youth in Ontario will experience some form of mental health problem, and five out of six of those kids will not receive the treatment they need. Thirty-six per cent of Ontario parents have sought help for their child; of those who did, four in 10 didn’t receive the help they needed or are still waiting for treatment.
A registered charity, MiND-AID relies on donations, grants and funding from several sources to operate. Without the generosity and support of so many, they would cease to exist.
For more information, contact:
Jody North – Executive Director of MiND-AID Muskoka – 844-646-3243
