After what has seemed like a never-ending winter, spring seems to have finally sprung in most parts of the country. Grass is greening, birds are chirping, and patios have been dusted off for outdoor enjoyment.
I have found my motivation to be much like the coming of the spring - slow to start, somewhat uninspired, and often worse before it gets better. Change is in the air not only for weather and wardrobe, but my recent move back to Toronto has also given me the jumpstart I needed for Taking Off the Taboo. It has been a long and somewhat hectic winter, and without trying to make excuses, much of it for me was spent living out of a suitcase. As with anything, it is easy to lose momentum in the face of snowstorms and comfort food, but rest assured, the cause has not fallen entirely to the back burner, but has merely been simmering in the background. In light of the fact that this is Canadian Mental Health Week (the specific CMHA intiative that Taking Off the Taboo is raising funds to support), it seems a fitting time to "spring" back into action on this front.
I have found my motivation to be much like the coming of the spring - slow to start, somewhat uninspired, and often worse before it gets better. Change is in the air not only for weather and wardrobe, but my recent move back to Toronto has also given me the jumpstart I needed for Taking Off the Taboo. It has been a long and somewhat hectic winter, and without trying to make excuses, much of it for me was spent living out of a suitcase. As with anything, it is easy to lose momentum in the face of snowstorms and comfort food, but rest assured, the cause has not fallen entirely to the back burner, but has merely been simmering in the background. In light of the fact that this is Canadian Mental Health Week (the specific CMHA intiative that Taking Off the Taboo is raising funds to support), it seems a fitting time to "spring" back into action on this front.
Taking Off the Taboo was inspired from discussion with friends, and from being somewhat overwhelmed at the amount of people I spoke to who I would never guess were affected by some sort of mental health issue - either themselves, or relatively intimately with close friends or family. It seems fitting that in the months since it's been launched, I've been similarly overwhelmed by the offer of help and support from these same people, and many others. I know it is not easy for people to talk about, and still very much a personal thing, so I appreciate each and every one of these conversations. The ultimate goal of Taking Off the Taboo is to raise awareness, invite discussion, and hopefully raise some money for the Canadian Mental Health Association, whose reach is such that they can effectively do more of both, through initiatives like Canadian Mental Health Week. On the discussion front, I feel that this has been successful, but it's time to ramp up efforts for the fundraising portion of the initiative, and I'd like to take the time to put a bit of an update together, and give some credit where it is due!
To start with, for the past couple weeks, I've been selling raffle tickets for, besides what I think is a good cause, what I also think is a pretty great prize! A half day race car driving course at the Bridgestone Racing School, just east of Toronto - for many people, truly the thrill of a lifetime! As with any of the smaller fundraisers I'm holding for Taking Off the Taboo, the proceeds from this raffle are going 50% to the Canadian Mental Health Association directly, and 50% to my awareness raising trip next year. Though I am a terrible sales person (I really hate asking people for money, even when it's a good cause!), I'm pleased to report that over a third of the tickets have been sold so far, with the draw date three weeks away on May 31st. Please contact me for details if you're interested, and if you miss out this time, don't fret, I have more of these prizes to raffle off in the future. I am so thankful to Brock Weir and Weir Designs for the help with Taking Off the Taboo's Logo (think this is the first official use of it!), and to Rob McCormack for his skills in ticket making!
Also in the initial planning stages is a final fundraiser that will cap off the campaign, and kick off my awareness trip. I am so thrilled to be working with my friend Jenny Faucher on this event, who just happens to be the owner of a wonderful company called Managing Matters here in Toronto - she is a wealth of information, and has been so helpful already in guiding me in the right direction to plan a truly great event. I can't reveal too much in the way of details regarding the event just yet, and as it is still so far out and just in the initial planning stages, things will undoubtedly change as we go along. For now I will say to expect an amazing, music themed event on a Thursday in early October 2014 - I know REALLY far away, but stay tuned for details! All proceeds from this event will go directly to the CMHA.
In the interim, I hope to have done several smaller fundraisers to keep the momentum going. Many ideas have been suggested and occurred to me as possibilities - garden barbecues, golf or volleyball tournaments, silent auctions, raffles, fun runs... all great ideas, and I hope to be able to pull off some or all of these. Any event takes time and effort to plan, and I have to admit that the tasks have at times been a bit daunting - and I have to admit further, that I think this is largely due to my own fear of seeing them fail. Even more difficult, is translating good intentions into actual results - keeping momentum going over two years is difficult for any cause, no matter how great it is. I am also trying to be conscious of asking too much of any one person, or group of people (read: my friends), and don't want to over-ask of people's generosity! Any and all help or suggestions are welcome - I am quickly realizing that I need to assemble a good team, especially in the months ahead! Of course, as I truly believe this is a cause that affects us all in some way, please feel free to share the information along to your friends, family, and co-workers. As always, donations directly to the CMHA are also greatly appreciated! On that note, through my Donor page at the CMHA, I have raised over $1900, and am 8% towards the goal of $25000 - thank you for your generous support!
So as Canadian Mental Health Week wraps up, please take some time to reflect on mental health in your daily life, perhaps educate yourself on something new, and engage in discussion with friends and family. If you're interested in donating, follow the links below! And above all, get out there and enjoy this weather - we all know it will be gone sooner than we know it!