Western Hockey League & RE/MAX announce ‘Goals For Mental Health’ in support of CMHA
Calgary, Alta. – The Western Hockey League announced today a new mental health initiative – Goals For Mental Health presented by RE/MAX – benefitting the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) in Western Canada.
The WHL, RE/MAX and CMHA have come together to support positive mental health across WHL territory. WHL fans can look forward to a number of digital programming initiatives that will unfold throughout the 2020-21 WHL Regular Season, including a fundraising component that will see RE/MAX provide support directly into the communities in which WHL Clubs call home.
When the WHL’s Central Division begins play on Friday, February 26, RE/MAX will be donating $15 for every goal scored by WHL Clubs in 17 Western Canadian markets this season. The WHL’s East Division will join the cause when the puck drops in the WHL Hub Center in Regina on Friday, March 12. Fans will have the opportunity to track the goal tally by visiting WHL.ca/GoalsForMentalHealth and Club social media channels.
The Goals For Mental Health initiative will be delivered in support of CMHA’s longstanding Talk Today program, with new digital integrations for the 2020-21 WHL Regular Season. Check the social media platforms for your favourite WHL Club in Canada to learn more about how you can support your own positive mental health, and stay tuned for fun ways in which fans can support the fundraising campaign.
“Once again, our longstanding corporate partner RE/MAX of Western Canada has stepped up to support our WHL communities in Western Canada with this new mental health initiative,” commented WHL Commissioner Ron Robison. “We continue to look for new ways to support positive mental health programming within our communities and we are proud to continue with these efforts at such a critical time in partnership with RE/MAX of Western Canada and the Canadian Mental Health Association.”
“We’re very excited to be partnering with the WHL and RE/MAX in support of our CMHAs across Western Canada,” said CMHA Alberta Executive Director David Grauwiler. “For the last five seasons, CMHAs have been working with their local WHL teams to support the mental health of players and raise awareness in their communities through our Talk Today program. This gracious contribution from RE/MAX will go a long way toward the continued success of Talk Today across the WHL.”
“RE/MAX of Western Canada is proud to present initiatives promoting the Canadian Mental Health Association and the WHL for the 2020-21 playing season,” said Elaine Langhout, Director, Regional Advertising, RE/MAX of Western Canada. “We’re excited about this opportunity and hope that through this sponsorship, we can continue to raise awareness on the importance of mental health, which is critical now more than ever.”
The WHL has worked with CMHA to deliver Talk Today programming in all 22 WHL markets since January 2017. The Talk Today program includes an educational component called safeTALK for WHL players, providing mental health training specific to suicide awareness. This training helps teach individuals the importance of talking about mental health, how to acknowledge signs of suicide, seek help when they’re in need of support, and connect others in need of support to suicide first aid resources. Each team is also linked to a CMHA Mental Health Coach, who can provide support and mental health resources to individuals in need.
Talk Today is a mandatory program within the WHL’s Players First support services programs. The WHL’s Player’s First programs provide educational, mentorship, and support services which touch on many issues such as bullying, mental health, and leadership, along with extensive health and safety initiatives.
About the RE/MAX Network
As one of the leading global real estate franchisors, RE/MAX, LLC is a subsidiary of RE/MAX Holdings (NYSE: RMAX) with over 135,000 agents in more than 110 countries and territories. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX, as measured by residential transaction sides. Dedicated to innovation and change in the real estate industry, RE/MAX launched Motto Mortgage, a ground-breaking mortgage franchisor, in 2016 and acquired booj, a real estate technology company, in 2018. RE/MAX agents have lived, worked and served in their local communities for decades, raising millions of dollars every year for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® and other charities. To learn more about RE/MAX, to search home listings or find an agent in your community, please visit www.remax.ca.
About the Canadian Mental Health Association in Alberta
For more than 60 years in Alberta, the CMHA has focused on recovery and support for Albertans impacted by mental illness. We stand with people living in the community as they achieve their wellness goals. Hundreds of CMHA staff and volunteers engage clients in activity and navigation within the complex matrix of mental health services. We believe in enabling individuals, groups and communities to increase control over and enhance their mental health.
About the Western Hockey League
Regarded as the world’s finest development league for junior hockey players, the Western Hockey League (WHL) head office is based in Calgary, Alberta. The WHL consists of 22 member Clubs with 17 located in Western Canada and five in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. A member of the Canadian Hockey League, the WHL has been a leading supplier of talent for the National Hockey League for over 50 years. The WHL is also the leading provider of hockey scholarships with over 375 graduates each year receiving WHL Scholarships to pursue a post-secondary education of their choice. Each season, WHL players also form the nucleus of Canada’s National Junior Hockey Team.
