Support for Bell Let's Talk Day and the mental health cause reaches new highs

Support for Bell Let's Talk Day and the mental health cause reaches new highs


-- Tweets, calls, texts and Facebook shares drive Bell's donations
to mental health
-- #BellLetsTalk again the top Twitter trend in Canada - and now
#1 worldwide!
-- Canadians everywhere, politicians, sports figures, entertainers
all lending their support
-- Learn more at
Bell.ca/LetsTalk -
including the 5 simple ways we can all fight the stigma around
mental illness



MONTREAL, Jan. 28, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - On the 5(th) annual Bell Let's Talk Day, more Canadians than ever before are
supporting the fight for a Canada free of stigma around mental illness
- and there's plenty of time left for you to help drive Bell's
donations to mental health today.



By noon eastern time, Canadians had already engaged in a total of 30.73
million interactions - calls, tweets, texts and Facebook shares - in
support of the Bell Let's Talk message. That's 17% more than at the
same time last year. By 3 pm eastern, the total was nearing 60 million
messages. With a Bell donation of 5 cents for each, that's equivalent
to approximately $3 million more in new funding for Canadian mental
health.



"Wow Canada! Your support for the cause has grown by leaps and bounds
every year since we launched the Bell Let's Talk initiative in 2010.
But this level of support and engagement in the mental health
conversation is truly incredible!" said Clara Hughes, Canada's 6-time
Olympic medalist and national spokesperson for Bell Let's Talk. "Bell
Let's Talk Day is far from over, so we have the chance to take it even
further. What better way to show that we we all believe in a
stigma-free Canada than by keeping those messages of support rolling
in!"



-- Last year, Bell Let's Talk was the top Twitter trend in Canada
and #3 worldwide - this year, you've made the cause the #1
trend worldwide; in fact, the total number of Bell Let's Talk
tweets has more than doubled year over year.
-- Governor General David Johnston and Canadian leaders everywhere
have tweeted and texted their support - including Prime
Minister Stephen Harper, Cabinet Ministers, Opposition Leader
Thomas Mulcair, Liberal Leader Pierre Trudeau and MPs from all
parties, all 13 provincial and territorial leaders, mayors and
other politicians across the country.
-- More than twice as many people had visited the Bell Let's Talk
website already compared to last year.
-- Pro sports players and organizations across Canada and the U.S.
are behind the cause, including Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres,
Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Florida
Panthers, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Mike Fisher, Montreal Canadiens,
Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, the NHLPA, Ottawa
Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, Toronto
Argonauts, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto FC, Toronto Maple Leafs,
Toronto Marlies, Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Whitecaps.
-- Celebrities tweeting their support already today include
longtime Bell Let's Talk supporter William Shatner and André
Ducharme, Arkells, Bryan Adams, Chris Hadfield, Dan Bigras,
Dany Turcotte, Donnie Wahlberg, Down With Webster, Elisha
Cuthbert, Eric Salvail, Fall Out Boy, Hedley, Jann Arden, Joel
Legendre, k.d. lang, Kevin O'Leary, Kim Cattrall, Les Grandes
Gueules, Lights , Marianas Trench, Mario Tessier, Mother
Mother, Nathan Fillion, Nelly Furtado, Sarah McLachlan, Serena
Ryder, Sophia Bush, Theo Fleury, The Tragically Hip, Trailer
Park Boys and Véronique Bannon.
-- Bell competitors Rogers, Telus, Vidéotron and Wind Mobile have
all tweeted their support. Thank you!



It's easy to join the conversation

Today, for every text message, wireless and long distance call made by
Bell Canada and Bell Aliant customers, every tweet using #BellLetsTalk,
and every Facebook share of the Bell Let's Talk Day image at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk, Bell will donate 5 cents more to Canadian mental health programs.



In 2014, Canadians answered the call with a total of 109,451,718
messages including texts, wireless and long distance calls, tweets and
Facebook shares, meaning Bell added another $5,472,585.90 to its Bell
Let's Talk funding commitment. Based on its original $50 million
donation and the results of the last 4 Bell Let's Talk Days, Bell has
now committed more than $67.5 million to Canadian mental health.



Bell's donations are made at no extra charge to Bell Let's Talk Day
participants, though normal long distance or text charges, if any,
apply.


5 simple ways to help end the stigma

We can all help end the stigma around mental illness with these 5 simple
ways:



-- Language matters - pay attention to the words you use about
mental illness
-- Educate yourself - learn, know and talk more, understand the
signs
-- Be kind - small acts of kindness say a lot
-- Listen and ask - sometimes it's best to just listen
-- Talk about it - start a dialogue, break the silence



The 2015 Bell Let's Talk team

This year, TSN host Michael Landsberg, comedian Howie Mandel and
entertainer Mary Walsh join Clara and Québec spokespeople Stefie Shock
and Michel Mpambara in the Bell Let's Talk campaign.



The long-time host of TSN's Off The Record, Michael Landsberg is a
renowned advocate for mental health. Howie Mandel is the
internationally known comedian, actor and TV host. Mary Walsh is a
social activist, comedian and actor whose work includes the iconic news
satire show This Hour Has 22 Minutes.



A new ambassador, professional golfer Andrew Jensen, has also joined
comedian and writer Kevin Breel, CFL veteran Shea Emry and musician
Robb Nash to share personal stories and encourage Canadians to get
engaged in the conversation.



"Thank you to the amazing Bell Let's Talk team for helping to spread the
mental health message. Together, we're working to end the stigma and
make mental health part of our everyday conversations," said Mary
Deacon, Chair of Bell Let's Talk.


Bell Let's Talk Day Events

Bell Let's Talk and Cisco host nationwide student TelePresence event

Today, Clara Hughes and Michel Mpambara led live interactive webcasts
linking schools nationwide to encourage youth to talk about mental
health. In Toronto, Clara was joined by Michael Landsberg and Kevin
Breel. Joining Michel in Montréal were Alex Genest, Josiane Babin of
the Montreal Mental Illness Foundation's Partners for Life program, and NRJ radio and television host Anais Favron, who moderated
the event.


CLARA'S BIG RIDE documentary on CTV and CraveTV

Airing in primetime tonight on CTV and CTV Two, CLARA'S BIG RIDE is a powerful documentary chronicling 6-time Olympic medalist and Bell
Let's Talk national spokesperson Clara Hughes' epic 110-day bicycle
journey to help build a Canada free of the stigma of mental illness. CLARA'S BIG RIDE will be available all day on CraveTV and CTV.ca, before airing at 7:00 pm ET/PT in super-simulcast on CTV and CTV Two and live-streamed on CTV GO.



Bell Media is marking the 5(th) annual Bell Let's Talk Day with more than 50 hours of special mental
health-themed programming that will air across its properties,
including CTV, CTV Two, BNN, CP24, CTV News Channel, Discovery, E!, M3,
Much, MTV, RDS, Space, TSN, CraveTV, and TheLoop.ca, as well as Bell
Media digital, radio, and local TV platforms throughout the day.



To learn more about Bell Media's special Bell Let's Talk Day
programming, please visit http://bmpr.ca/15PewCc.


Toronto Raptors game in support of Bell Let's Talk

Tonight, Clara will attend the Toronto Raptors game. To celebrate Bell
Let's Talk Day, the first 10,000 fans who arrive at the game will
receive Bell Let's Talk toques and fans will be encouraged to continue
the conversation about mental health by calling, texting and tweeting.


Canadian Armed Forces mental health awareness event

Bell Let's Talk ambassador Andrew Jensen participated in a panel
discussion about mental health at National Defence Headquarters in
Ottawa from 11 to 11 30 am.



Tomorrow night, Clara will join the Ottawa Senators and the Dallas Stars
at centre ice for the ceremonial puck drop during the Bell Hockey Talks mental health in support of D.I.F.D (Do It For Daron) game at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa (TSN, 7 pm ET). Fans will
receive Bell Let's Talk and D.I.F.D mittens when they arrive at the
game.



To learn more about Bell Let's Talk and how to join the conversation,
please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.


The Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative

Bell Let's Talk promotes mental health based on 4 action pillars -
anti-stigma, care and access, research, and workplace best practices.
The initiative supports mental health leaders across the country
including the Royal Ottawa Hospital, Institut universitaire en santé
mentale de Montréal, Hôpital Charles-LeMoyne, Montreal Jewish Hospital,
the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), the University of
British Columbia, the Douglas Mental Health University Institute,
Queen's University, La Fondation du Centre hospitalier universitaire de
Québec, Concordia University, Brain Canada, Kids Help Phone, Sunnybrook
Hospital, Université Laval Foundation, CHU Sainte-Justine and Vancouver
General Hospital.


Bell Let's Talk Community Fund.

The annual Bell Let's Talk Community Fund supports organizations in
Canada focused on improving access to programs and services that
support and help improve the mental health and wellbeing of people
living with mental health issues from coast to coast to coast with
grants in the range of $5,000 to $50,000. Applications are now being
accepted for the 2015 Bell Let's Talk Community Fund. The 2015
application period is open until March 31 and all 2015 Fund grants will
be disbursed before December 31, 2015.



To apply for 2015 funding, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.


About Bell

Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and
business customers with wireless, TV, Internet, home phone and business
communications services. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia
company with leading assets in television, radio, out of home and
digital media. Bell is wholly owned by Montréal's BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE:
BCE). For more information, please visit Bell.ca

SOURCE Bell Canada

Bell Canada

CONTACT: Media inquiries:
Jacqueline Michelis
Bell Media Relations
613 785-1427
jacqueline.michelis@bell.ca
@Bell_News


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