The WHL has joined with the national realtor organization and the Canadian Mental Health Association to create Goals for Mental Health, a program that will run through all 17 teams in western Canada.
In addition to number of digital programming initiatives that will take place during the 24-game schedule, a special fundraising component for each community is also being put in place.
RE/MAX will be donating $15 per goal scored by each team, beginning when the Central Division kicks off on Feb. 26 and continuing when the WHL’s East Division -- including the Moose Jaw Warriors -- open their season in the Regina Hub on Mar. 12.
Fans can track the goal tally and funds raised at WHL.ca/GoalsForMentalHealth and by following the Warriors’ social media channels on Twitter at @MJWARRIORS and Facebook at mjwarriors. The fundraising venture is only part of what Goals for Mental Health has planned, with teams also using social media to offer tips on how you can support your own positive mental health and other ways fans can support the fundraising campaign.
“Once again, our longstanding corporate partner RE/MAX of Western Canada has stepped up to support our WHL communities with this new mental health initiative,” said WHL Commissioner Ron Robison. “We continue to look for new ways to support positive mental health programming within our communities and we are proud to continue with these efforts at such a critical time in partnership with RE/MAX of Western Canada and the Canadian Mental Health Association.”
The program is part of the long-running CMHA Talk Today initiative, which includes an educational component called safeTALK for WHL players, providing mental health training specific to suicide awareness. This training helps teach individuals the importance of talking about mental health, how to acknowledge signs of suicide, seek help when they’re in need of support, and connect others in need of support to suicide first-aid resources. Each team is also linked to a CMHA Mental Health Coach, who can provide support and mental health resources to individuals in need.
For more on Talk Today, the Canadian Mental Health Association and how you can support your own mental well-being in these tough times, visit cmha.ca.
