Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION

Ride Don’t Hide Kamloops moves to Riverside Park

Jun 24, 2019 | 2:44 PM

KAMLOOPS — It began in British Columbia back in 2011. It’s now grown into a national fundraiser for the Canadian Mental Health Association. On Sunday, the Kamloops edition of Ride Don’t Hide was held, but this year the local branch of the CMHA moved it to a new venue to accommodate the growth of the local event.

For the past seven years, the Kamloops branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association held its Ride Don’t Hide fundraiser at Centennial Park out in Westsyde. After years of growth, organizers decided it was time to bring the event into the heart of the city.

“When we started Ride Don’t Hide seven years ago… we had 32 riders,” organizer Shelley Trudeau explained to CFJC Today. “Last year we had 185 participants and [Centennial] Park just got a bit too small.”

Which is what prompted the move to Riverside Park for 2019. For the local branch of the CMHA, that growth is a positive thing, both from the fundraising perspective, and the messaging that mental health and physical health are intertwined.

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“When we move our bodies, when we’re with others, when we’re outside, it’s good for our mental wellness,” CMHA Kamloops Executive Director Christa Mullaly said. “[Ride Don’t Hide] is one day out of 365, but this is something that needs to occur all the time,”

Image Credit: CFJC Today

Mullaly has seen the difference events like Ride Don’t Have made in the conversation around mental health. She believes the efforts have had a positive impact on the way society views mental illness.

“That’s a critical shift in the conversation,” Mullaly said. “People aren’t embarrassed or afraid anymore, and I think [Ride Don’t Hide] shows that.”

Image Credit: CFJC Today

With more than 220 participants taking part in Ride Don’t Hide in Kamloops on Sunday, organizers believe the event still has some room to grow.

“Now it’s coast-to-coast with 25 events in cities across Canada,” Trudeau said. “We just see this becoming a bigger and bigger event.”:

The local ride raised more than $35,000 for the CMHA, with donations still being accepted until July 31.