Hands launches second annual “Shine The Light” video contest

Hands The Family Help Network
News Release

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This month, Hands TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca launched their
second annual “Shine The Light” video contest aimed at promoting mental health awareness.

Shine The Light provides a venue for grade 7-12 students in the Districts of Nipissing and Parry Sound to showcase their creativity and technology skills, while educating their peers on the importance of mental health awareness.

The contest focus on increasing awareness and decreasing the stigma related to mental health is a central theme for the upcoming Children’s Mental Health week on May 6-12, 2012.

According to Children’s Mental Health Ontario (CMHO), 1 in 5 Ontarians under the age of 17 experience a mental health disorder causing significant distress and impairing their functioning at home, at school, with peers or in the community.

Despite this reality, mental health stigma still exists. Through the Shine The Light videos, Hands hopes to help students start conversations about child and youth mental health and the importance of seeking help when it is needed without fear of stigmatization.

This year’s top prizes are Walmart gift cards of $500 for 1st place, $300 for 2nd place, $200 for 3rd place. Prize baskets will also be awarded for 4th through 10th place recipients. Prizes will be awarded at a special ceremony during Children’s Mental Health week on Saturday May 12, 2012 at the West Ferris Auditorium in North Bay. All videos must be submitted by April 30th; winning entries will be determined by a panel of local celebrity judges.

For more information and to submit a video, please visit www.TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca/shinethe-light-2012, or view video submissions at www.youtube.com/HandsShineTheLight.

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