Clara Hughes is now on the road to building a stigma-free Canada

Clara Hughes is now on the road to building a stigma-free Canada


-- Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk begins with a rousing
send-off from Maple Leaf Square
-- It's the first of more than 200 community mental health events
with Clara in every province and territory over the 110 days of
the Big Ride
-- Clara will ride 12,000 kilometres around the country before
concluding her Ride in Ottawa on Canada Day


TORONTO, March 14, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Six-time Olympian Clara Hughes
has just begun her 12,000-kilometre bicycle journey around Canada in
support of mental health, departing moments ago from Maple Leaf Square
in downtown Toronto to the cheers of supporters and well-wishers.



It's the first day of Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk, an
unprecedented 110-day journey to build a Canada free of the stigma
around mental illness. Clara will visit communities big and small in
every province and territory to grow the mental health conversation
before concluding her epic Ride on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Canada
Day, July 1.



"Hey Canada, I'm on my way! By now I'm heading west on Wellington Street
to CAMH (the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) before hitting
Lakeshore Boulevard on the road to Hamilton, the next stop on the Big
Ride," said Clara before setting out on her epic journey. "I really
appreciate everyone coming out to Maple Leaf Square to see me off, and
I'm really looking forward to meeting and talking to so many more
Canadians on our quest to create a stigma-free nation!"



"Studies show that in any given year, one in every five Canadians will
suffer from some form of mental illness. But the stigma means that many
will not seek the support they need. I encourage anyone who is
struggling to reach out and ask for help," said the Honourable Lisa
Raitt, Minister of Transport. "Clara is playing a large role in helping
to gain awareness on this subject, we owe it to ourselves and to future
Canadians to do our part as well."



Clara's Big Ride for Bell Let's Talk includes more than 200 events
organized by schools, youth organizations and community groups in 95
communities from coast to coast to coast. Everyone is invited to take
part in the Ride by attending a local event, joining the conversation
at Bell.ca/ClarasBigRide, or raising funds to support mental health programs in your local
community.



"Everywhere Clara goes, local volunteers are organizing the events that
will spread the conversation about mental health far and wide and make
their own communities stigma free," said Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell
Let's Talk. "We applaud these Community Champions who, together with
our National Advisory Committee of mental health experts, are vital to
the success of Clara's Big Ride and our goal of a stigma-free Canada."



To learn more, and to keep up with Clara's updates from the road on her
personal blog, please visit Bell.ca/ClarasBigRide. Also available at the web site is the limited-edition official Clara's
Big Ride jersey or technical t-shirt. Show your support for the Ride
and for Kids Help Phone - $15 from the sale of each item will be donated to the national phone
and online professional counseling service for young people across
Canada.



During the first leg of the Big Ride through Ontario, Clara will visit
the following communities:



-- Hamilton - March 14 and15
-- St. Thomas - March 15 and 16
-- Chatham - March 16 and 17
-- Windsor - March 17 and 18
-- Sarnia - March 18 and 19
-- London - March 19 and 20
-- Kitchener - March 20 and 21
-- Oshawa - March 21
-- Whitby - March 22
-- Peterborough - March 22 and 24
-- Kingston - March 24
-- Gananoque - March 25
-- Cornwall /Akwesasne- March 25 and 26


Clara's Big Ride returns to Ontario June 16 when she crosses from
Manitoba on her way to Kenora. For more information on Clara's national
route and all locations and dates, please visit Bell.ca/ClarasBigRide.


National Partners

Clara's Big Ride is powered by the support of our National Partners -
Aimia, BMO, Canadian Tire, Cisco, Lundbeck, President's Choice and
Samsung - who are providing significant support for the Ride. Thanks to
our partners, every dollar raised at community events or online during
Clara's Big Ride will stay in the community where it's raised to
support local mental health initiatives. For more information on our
National Partners, please visit Bell.ca/ClarasBigRide/Partners.


Bell Let's Talk

The Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative is a national charitable
program that promotes mental health across Canada with Clara's Big Ride
for Bell Let's Talk, Bell Let's Talk Day, and significant funding for
anti-stigma programs, care and access, research, and workplace best
practices. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.


SOURCE Bell Canada

Bell Canada

CONTACT: Media inquiries:

Jacqueline Michelis
(613) 785-1427
jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca
@Bell_News


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