CMHA Grey Bruce Push Up Challenge Poster (Image provided by Don Vail)
A new national fitness challenge has raised over $33,000 in Grey Bruce to support the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
Starting Feb. 1, residents across the region took part in the challenge to complete 2,000 push ups and had until Feb. 23 to finish.
CMHA Grey Bruce Communications and Fund Development Manager Don Vail says the event went exceptionally well as it not only helped people stay in shape, but also sparked conversations around the stigma of mental health.
“Numerous push ups were had and of course it was the public awareness campaign that happened to talk about stigma and the reduction of stigma as well that happened through social media,” says Vail.
He says 353 people took part in the challenge and the funds raised will go to support the CMHA Grey Bruce.
“Being the first year, I really didn’t know what our numbers would be like on those that would actually say they are going to do push ups for 23 days and try to hit that 2,000 mark,” says Vail. “We had schools that were signed up, a number of gyms that signed up, some dojos, it was just a really neat experience.”
He says for a first-time event, it exceeded expectations.
“I was expecting to raise $5,000 maybe $10,000, I did not expect the numbers to reach $33,312, it was amazing,” says Vail.
The CMHA brought this challenge to Canada for the first time after seven years of success in Australia, which has raised over $36 million for mental health.
Vail adds he thinks this national event will become an annual fundraiser and foresees the CMHA Grey Bruce taking part in the years to come.
Nationally, the challenge raised over $2.3 million for the CMHA.