Record Total For Ride Don’t Hide

Greater Vernon riders had a part in a record-breaking Ride Don’t Hide event that raised over $1.5 million for mental health programs across Canada

One-hundred ad 91 local riders took part in Canada’s largest mental health bike ride on Sunday, raising $45,561 for local programs, double the initial target.

Photo: Members of Liam’s Lunar Monkeys team that raised $19,000 in memory of Liam Hack at the Ride Don’t Hide event in Greater Vernon.

Nineteen-thousand dollars of that was generated by one team — Liam’s Lunar Monkey’s — who are family and friends of Coldstream teenager Liam Hack who died by suicide last year.

That was the fourth highest team total in Canada.

“The Ride Don’t Hide movement is all about coming out and riding to banish the stigma around mental illness,” says Todd Strilchuk, Liam’s Lunar Monkeys’ Team Captain and Ride Don’t Hide Committee Chair. “There is still a journey ahead of us, but days like this make me feel that the shadows are starting to dissipate.”

The 6th annual event took place in 30 communities across Canada, with 6,700 participants.

In any given year, one in five, or approximately seven million Canadians, experience a mental health problem or illness, but only one-third will seek help – often due to the discrimination and stigma around mental illness.