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Olympian coming to Penticton Ride Don’t Hide event

Cycling fundraiser raises money for the Canadian Mental Health Association
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This Sunday, June 23 is the eighth annual Ride Don’t Hide fundraising bike event. (Submitted)

Penticton residents who care about mental health will be out peddling for a reason at the eighth annual Ride Don’t Hide on Sunday.

As the largest mental health bike ride in Canada, Ride Don’t Hide has 10,000 riders and hundreds of family members, friends and volunteers taking part across Canada. Collectively, they raise more than $2 million each year for the Canadian Mental Health Association.

READ MORE: Ride Don’t Hide Penticton event raises funds, awareness

“Ride Don’t Hide gives thousands of people across Canada the opportunity to connect: to their own mental health, to each other and to their broader communities, while raising critical funds that support CMHA mental health programs and services in their own communities,” according to Ride Don’t Hide organizers.

Last year, more than 90 cyclists in Penticton raised roughly $18,000 for the Canadian Mental Health Association. In the South Okanagan Similkameen, a total of $25,000 was raised. So far this year, the event has raised $9, 760 of its $25,000 goal.

As part of the fun, riders will get the chance to take a photo with 2018 Olympic Gold medalist in two-man Bobsleigh, Justin Kripps.

Two-thirds of people with mental health issues do not access help, largely due to stigma. Over half of Canadians consider anxiety and depression to be epidemic in Canada, according to the Ride Don’t Hide website.

About 1.2 million Canadian children and youth experience a mental illness, but less than 20 per cent receive help.

A total of 85 per cent of Canadians think mental health services are among the most underfunded services in our health care system.

In 2010, Ride Don’t Hide started after Michael Schratter, a Vancouver teacher who had experienced stigma while living with bipolar disorder, embarked on a 40,000 km ride around the globe for mental health.

READ MORE: Brewing up support for mental health in Penticton

In the following years, high-profile Canadians have joined in by cycling or speaking up about mental illness as Ride Don’t Hide ambassadors. Some familiar names include former Okanagan weatherman Mike Roberts, Olympic rower Silken Laumann, indie rock band the Elwins, Olympic hurdler Noelle Montcalm and Ryan Martin, who cycled across Canada and chronicled his experience online.

Registration for the fundraiser is on the Ride Don’t Hide website. Riders can also register at 8 a.m. at KVR Middle School Sunday morning with the riding starting at 8:30 a.m.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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