CMHA looks to rebuild; Ride Don’t Hide campaign kicks off

The time is now to kick the stigma of mental health to the curb.

The Canadian Mental Health Association in Prince George kicked off the campaign for Ride Don’t Hide this week.

Ride Don’t Hide is a nationwide fundraising bike ride event that aids in bringing mental health out into the open. With the eighth annual event being held on June 23, in over 25 communities from coast to coast in Canada, the event is the largest mental health bike ride in the country with almost 10,000 riders having participated to date.

For the Prince George Branch of the CMHA, this year’s event is a special one.

“In August of last year, we lost the (Connections) Clubhouse due to a fire. We’re currently temporarily housed, but we want to rebuild.” CMHA’s Mary Lu Spagrud told MyPGNow.

The Connections Clubhouse has served the Northern Capital as a drop-in centre for the past 35 years. It’s been a place where people can come and engage in social activities and opportunities. Working with people to rekindle or obtain further skills so they can return to the workplace has also been a service provided.

According to Spagrud, with changes in building codes, the project has become a little more expensive than what insurance was able to cover, as well as what the organization was anticipating.

The CMHA has two plans when it comes to covering the cost for the Clubhouse.

“We have our simple plan, where we have to raise a couple hundred thousand for. Then there’s the ‘we want this’ plan, and we’re needing to raise closer to $400,000 for.

Through the funds raised by Ride Don’t Hide, it will bring the those in the community suffering from mental health issues that much closer to getting the Connections Clubhouse back up and running.

Ride Don’t Hide is open to cyclists of all ages and skill levels.

Registration for the event is currently in the Early Bird-phase, costing $45 from now until June 1. After June 1, the cost will increase to $50, followed by $60 on the day of the event.