Mental illness indirectly affects all Canadians at some time through a family member, friend or colleague. In any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness.
On Friday evening we had the pleasure of joining Armco Communities in attending BMO Bank of Montreal’s A Different Stage of Mind event fundraiser put on by the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, and we’ve got to say. What. A. Time.
If you’re not familiar with the foundation/fundraiser:
BMO Bank of Montreal’s A Different Stage of Mind (DSOM) is one of the Mental Health Foundation‘s signature fundraisers. It invites brave community leaders to take the stage in support of Nova Scotians living with mental illness. These community leaders become our STARS and leading up to the big night, give their time and talent to prepare a showstopping performance and fund raise $50,000 for mental health.
The Mental Health Foundation encourages guests, supporters and FANS to sponsor their favourite star’s fundraising goal online. They can make a donation, and buy tickets or tables under their name. Over the course of 15 years, DSOM has raised nearly 3 million dollars which in turn has been reinvested into communities across the provinces for mental health programs and support services.
BMO Bank of Montreal’s A Different Stage of Mind invites community leaders and local celebrities to step out of their comfort zone and give back to mental health in a big way. The event shines a spotlight on mental illness and illuminate the lives of the one in five Nova Scotians who live with mental illness.
This year had performances from The First Responders (The Village People), Melissa Berry & Josh Kogon (P!NK), Paul LeBlanc (The BareNaked Ladies), The Conter Family (The Conter Crooners) and Glorious Ladies Choir (ABBA).
We know it takes guts to get up on stage and perform in front of hundreds of people, but when it’s for a good cause it makes it all worthwhile. The event was a huge success, raising over $440,000 for community initiatives that provide hope and eradicate the stigma surrounding mental illness and addiction.
We would like to thank the team once again at Armco Communities for a wonderful evening and to everyone for attending and supporting such a great cause.
