The Canadian Mental Health Association designated May 6th to 12th as the 73rd Mental Health Awareness Week, a time to think about ways we can all support mental wellbeing. This year’s theme focused on the importance of compassion and kindness – both for ourselves and for others.
On May 10th, Trinity College School’s Mental Health Awareness Council (MHAC) celebrated the benefits of time spent connecting as a community, as they hosted a “Friday Night Chill” event. The timing couldn’t have been better, as students are entering a busy time of summative projects and final assessments in these last few weeks of the school year.
Friday was a non-uniform day in the Senior School, with the theme colours of blue, purple and green. Green, specifically, is a colour associated with mental health awareness.
In a separate but timely initiative, two students in the Grade 12 Recreation & Healthy Active Living Leadership course chose Friday to welcome the therapy dogs from St. John’s Ambulance to TCS. Students were thrilled to have the chance to snuggle with the dogs, who visited outside Cirne Commons in the afternoon.
In the evening, MHAC leaders Serar Omar and Hannah Bodden, and the council members, were pleased to invite everyone to the beach volleyball courts for a gathering. Attendance was great, as many students came out to listen to music and play games of beach volleyball, corn hole and Frisbee, as well as toss the football around with friends. The event also served as a fundraiser for Little Warriors, a Canadian charitable organization focused on the awareness, prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse. For every $100 collected, one of the school prefects (current or incoming) volunteered to get a pie in the face. As well, ice cream treats and candy were sold to raise funds. In the end, nearly $800 was raised!
Thank you to everyone who attended the event, to the current and incoming school prefects who good-naturedly volunteered their faces, and to the MHAC members, in particular Serar and Hannah who led the way in organizing a great night of fun, friendship and fundraising.
