TAKE A DEEP BREATH
Self Love Saturday, set for April 28, raises money and awareness for mental health
Self Love Saturday on April 28 raising money and awareness for mental health
“Really, what we’re trying to do is remind people to breathe.” Karen Murphy
Mental illness doesn’t discriminate, and it indirectly affects everyone.
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) says that youth aged 15-24 account for nearly a quarter of all suicide-related deaths.
As a way to help address the issues surrounding youth mental health on P.E.I., the Murphy Hospitality Group (MHG) has once again teamed up with several local businesses to hold a mental health fundraiser.
Ben Murphy, chief operating officer for MHG, said the second annual Self Love Saturday takes place April 28 at the P.E.I. Brewing Company.
Many of the MHG’s employees are youth, some living with mental illness, so Murphy said 100 per cent of the day’s proceeds will go to the CMHA P.E.I. youth programs, with a goal of raising $10,000, surpassing last year’s total of $7,500.
“We have a lot of people that suffer and we want to make sure that we’re raising money to help them in the long run,” Murphy said, adding the programs focus a lot on education and pointing people in the right direction.
“There’s lots of room to grow for our existing programs offered on P.E.I., but what we do have, we need to take advantage of a little bit better.”
The fundraiser will consist of a full day of events, including morning yoga, a beer run, a lip sync battle and musical performances from more than 20 local artists.
The event is in partnership with Kinetic Fitness and Moksha Yoga Charlottetown (MYC), as well as Copper Bottom, Moth Lane and Upstreet breweries.
Karen Murphy, owner of MYC, said she is excited to once again take part in an important fundraiser that brings awareness to an important issue.
“I think any opportunity to do a community event, we’re typically all over it. But, specifically when it’s associated with mental health, then it’s even more exciting to get involved,” she said. “It’s something that we feel can really benefit people.”
Depending on the person, yoga provides an opportunity to connect with oneself and to connect to a community, she said.
“Really what we’re trying to do is remind people to breathe,” she said. “In the end, it’s about breathing really deeply and creating tools that each person can access when they need it.”
The yoga portion of the fundraiser, guided by Scott MacTaggart and assisted by other yoga instructors from MYC, will kick off the event with a morning Moksha class.
The class isn’t in the heat and is designed to accommodate everyone.
For more information, visit the Self Love Saturday page on Facebook.