Thank you Canada: A new Bell Let's Talk Day record with 125,915,295 calls, texts, tweets and shares - and $ 6,295,764.75 more for Canadian mental health!

Thank you Canada: A new Bell Let's Talk Day record with 125,915,295 calls, texts, tweets and shares - and $ 6,295,764.75 more for Canadian mental health!


-- Clara Hughes leads a mental health conversation now spanning Canada and
the globe
-- Leaders and celebrities at home and worldwide join the chorus for
acceptance and action
-- Bell Let's Talk once again the top Twitter trend in Canada and most used
around the world
-- On our way to breaking $100 million: Bell's total donation to mental
health programs now stands at $79,919,178.55
MONTRÉAL, Jan. 28, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Bell Let's Talk Day 2016 set all-new records as Canadians and people everywhere joined Clara Hughes, the Bell Let's Talk team, and you in what has become by far the biggest mental health campaign in the world.

"Canada, you rock! We know the need to talk about mental illness is clear, and I know from my travels all around the country that Canadians want to make a positive difference for those who struggle, and you have. But I'm truly overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of the non-stop conversation about mental health this year and by what we've all built together," said Clara, Canada's 6-time Olympic medalist and Bell Let's Talk national spokesperson since the initiative began in 2010. "We're the leaders. Canadians are well known for our compassion, and now we're setting a great example for people around the world who want to move mental health forward in their own nations, to talk openly about mental illness, and to fight the stigma every day as we do. Hey, was I proud for Canada when I saw our Prime Minister talking so openly and positively about mental illness? Did I cry? Yes and yes!"

Over the 28.5 hour period between midnight Newfoundland time and midnight Pacific time, Bell Let's Talk Day 2016 tallied 125,915,295 total interactions, including wireless calls, long distance calls and texts by Bell customers, and tweets and Facebook shares supporting Bell Let's Talk by people around Canada and worldwide. That's a 3.1% increase over the 122,150,772 total interactions on Bell Let's Talk Day 2015. With Bell's donation of 5 cents per interaction, at no extra charge to participants, that's $6,295,764.75 more for Canadian mental health programs.

"People ask me, is just one day like Bell Let's Talk Day really enough to take on a health crisis so pervasive, that affects all of us in some way, that has been so incredibly difficult to move forward for so long? And I say, but it isn't just one day. It's the kickoff to a conversation we want and need to have every day, and one that I think we are increasingly having all year long. It's the day when we all say: We won't allow the stigma, we won't allow the silence anymore, we're ready to make mental health part of our lives from this day forward. All year long. Lifelong," said Clara. "And let's not forget... Bell grows its donation to mental health with every message sent, and that donation funds advances in care, research and grassroots mental health initiatives every day of the year."

The top Twitter trend in Canada yesterday, #BellLetsTalk was the most-used hashtag in the world, with 6,826,114 total tweets and retweets - 43% more than last year. The #stopthestigma,