Campaign will train front line mental health workers in peer support and suicide prevention

The local  Defeat Depression campaign is joining others in going virtual this year.

Mood Disorders Society of Canada (MDSC) is the umbrella organization raising funds locally for Lived Experience and Recovery Network (LERN), a non-profit organization linking, educating, and supporting all mental health organizations in North Bay and surrounding area.  

On May 29, Defeat Depression Day, the Defeat Depression committees all over Canada will be hosting a live-streaming broadcast. This one-hour event will feature various organization profiles and their efforts, special guest presenters, lived experience testimonials, and special performers and music. The event will start at 11 a.m. Eastern and will be accessible online.

"We are all experiencing this challenging time in our lives together," says a news release. "The tenth anniversary of the national Defeat Depression Day webcast is an opportunity for all of us to come together and share our solidarity while supporting mental health."

Now in its third year locally, the Defeat Depression campaign has grown into a national movement bringing funds, awareness of mental health issues and fighting mental health stigma one event at a time.

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"This year again, due to COVID-19, instead of our usual walks and runs with thousands of attendees, we are holding virtual Defeat Depression events," says Kari Sterling, local committee chair. "This means that participants can choose a physical activity to complete on their own between now and May 29, allowing for physical distancing.

Sterling suggests a walk around the block, run on a treadmill, ride a bike or taking a stroll on a trail.

You can register at defeatdepression.ca and participate in an upcoming fundraiser.

A Wellness Week event will take place from May 25-29 where presenters will provide virtual sessions on services that they offer