This has become an annual tradition for Rich and me over the past four years. This year felt even more meaningful as friends joined us for the “Walk So Kids Can Talk” in support of Kids Help Phone.
As many of you know, in the spring of 2020, shortly after the pandemic began, I created a graduation lawn sign initiative. I was searching for a meaningful way to honour our graduates, especially my youngest daughter, Rachel, who was about to complete her final year of high school while missing out on so many of life’s milestone moments and rites of passage. A once-in-a-lifetime grad trip was cancelled just two days before her departure. A prom dress never to be worn. A graduation ceremony postponed and eventually moved online six months later.
It was a difficult time for her, and for so many young people.
What happened next was something I never could have imagined.
In just six weeks, with Rich by my side, I sold and hand-delivered over 700 lawn signs across the GTHA, placing them front and centre on lawns, but more importantly, bringing smiles (from six feet away) to faces of all ages. The response was overwhelming, in the very best way.
By the end of that June, I had raised and donated over $10,000 to Kids Help Phone, thanks to the incredible generosity of our community. I chose this organization because I knew so many young people were isolated at home, cut off from their usual supports, and in need of a safe space to talk, vent, scream, or cry. Kids Help Phone provided that space, and continues to do so every single day.
In spring 2021, it became clear that another graduating class would once again miss out on those same important milestones, this time including my middle daughter, Hannah, who had spent the year working tirelessly online to complete her undergraduate degree in Communications.
By 2022, as life slowly began to feel more normal, I had planned to step away to focus my efforts on my new initiative @agentlereminderproject. But after receiving countless messages from community members asking if I would bring the lawn signs back, I decided to give it one more year. By the end of that third year, I had raised a total of $20,000 for youth mental health.
What began as a simple gesture during the Pandemic to support graduates during an incredibly difficult time evolved into something far more purposeful than I ever imagined. It sparked meaningful conversations across communities and helped shine a light on the importance of youth mental health. For that, I am deeply grateful.
While the pandemic may be behind us, the need for support is not. Kids Help Phone continues to do extraordinary work for youth across Canada, and it remains an organization I am proud to support through my mental health advocacy, because our youth matter, always.
Today’s Kids Help Phone walkathons that took place across Canada raised another incredible $3.9 million.
Kids Help Phone is available 24/7. To connect with a confidential counsellor, call 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868.
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YouAreEnough 