Calgary, AB – The Calgary Flames will host their seventh annual Hockey Talks game on Thursday February 7th when they play host to the San Jose Sharks in support of mental health awareness.
The Flames Hockey Talks event is part of an effort with select NHL clubs dedicating one of their game nights to bringing awareness to this topic in an attempt to alleviate misconceptions and stigma that have been associated with mental illness.
This season, the Flames are proud to be supporting both the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and the Calgary Counselling Centre (CCC) at the game.
CMHA – Calgary and CCC volunteers will be selling Flames branded Hockey Talks hats for $25 on the main concourse at Section 227 with funds directed toward the cause. All hats are signed by a Calgary Flames player with the autograph concealed by a Hockey Talks sticker. A portion of the 50/50 proceeds will also be donated to the two organizations.
Flames players and Alumni will be joining the cause by wearing the Hockey Talks hats along with lending their voices to various public service announcements.
Last year, the Calgary Flames Foundation donated $25,000 to the CMHA – Calgary from the Hockey Talks game. Since its inception, over $100,000 has been raised by the Calgary Flames Foundation for this initiative.
MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS FACTS
• In any given year, 1 in 5 Canadians experiences a mental health or addiction problem.
• 70% of mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence.
• Mental illness is a leading cause of disability in Canada.
• A growing body of international evidence demonstrates that promotion, prevention, and early intervention initiatives show positive returns on investment in this health sector.
These statistics were compiled from information available through the following websites: Mental Health Commission of Canada, Canadian Mental Health Association and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.